When their paths crossed again
by Jlocked
Summary: London is plagued by strange acts of vandalism and Mycroft Holmes sets his brother on the case. Soon it becomes evident that things are more complicated than originally assumed and Sherlock and John call in Torchwood to assist with a very unusual case. Sequel to What have we become and When their paths crossed. Another collaboration with the magnificent The Lady of Purpletown.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Oh, there's another act of vandalism." John was sitting comfortably in his chair with a newspaper. "The fifth already. They don't have a clue. The vandals seem to disappear within seconds, each time." He looked around at Sherlock.

Sherlock looked up from the terrier he was dissecting on the kitchen table. It had taken quite a lot of persuasion to get the go-ahead on this particular experiment. John had not willingly accepted that it was no different than working with any kind of raw meat intended for consumption.  
He glanced over at John and then looked away to hide his smile as he answered: "Boring."

John sighed. "Yeah, as if that poor animal is so interesting. It's starting to smell."

Sherlock huffed. "It's perfectly fresh, and you did agree to this. If this is just a bid for more 'persuasion' it is a rather feeble attempt." This time he did not bother to hide his grin.

John smiled back. "Well, I wouldn't mind some more of your _persuasion_... But then of course that thing would lie there even longer."

Sherlock chuckled. "How about I finish here and then come over and _persuade_ you thoroughly?"

"Hmm, looking forward," John grinned, looking back at his paper.

Sherlock smiled as he got back to work with increased speed and efficiency.

...

When he was done, Sherlock wrapped up the remains of the terrier and put them in the freezer. Then he took off his latex gloves and washed his hands. He went over and bent down to give John a soft kiss. "You needed more persuasion?" he asked.

"Yes. For letting you keep a dog in our freezer," John nodded, maintaining a serious expression while he pulled Sherlock into his lap.

Sherlock chuckled. "What will it take, I wonder..." He wrapped his arms around John's neck and kissed him passionately.

John hummed and laid his arms around Sherlock's back. "Oh, I could ask anything..."

"You could," Sherlock purred, nibbling on his ear. "How about I get us started and you let me know if anything occurs to you?" He let himself slide to the floor and settled between John's knees.

John chuckled and stroked Sherlock's jaw. "I like that plan. Certainly if you're about to start it from that position."

Sherlock smiled as he opened John's trousers. Then he nudged him to raise his hips so he could pull them down to his thighs along with his pants. He gave him a few strokes with his hand and then bent down, parting his lips to take him in his mouth.

John sighed and closed his eyes in bliss, but opened them again with a frown when he heard familiar footsteps on the stairs. Gently, he pushed Sherlock away.

"Oh dear, not again," Mycroft's annoyed voice sounded immediately when the door opened. "You two do realise that locking the door is the easiest security measure there is, and therefore an important one?"

Sherlock turned to glare at him. "And you do realise that it is considered common courtesy to knock before entering someone's home?" he asked.

Mycroft didn't look impressed. "That wouldn't change anything in your position. Get up, I've got a case for you."

John quickly pulled up his trousers and closed them, sighing. That could mean he'd have to wait quite a while.

Sherlock stood up. But instead of turning to face Mycroft, he bent down to give John a long lingering kiss.

John smiled and answered the kiss with a hand on Sherlock's neck, eventually using it to push him off slowly.

Mycroft rolled his eyes and turned to take a chair.

Finally Sherlock turned to him. "So what is it that was so important, that you had to grace us with your presence, brother dear?" he asked, settling on the arm of John's chair.

"_If_you weren't too _busy_ in the last few days," Mycroft cleared his throat, "you may have noticed that there were several acts of vandalism in the city, all performed in more or less the same way. There has been another one, today, this time not on any insignificant building, but on Westminster Abbey. For the sake of the public opinion, we would very much prefer this to stop."

Sherlock grinned, a bit sheepishly. "Westminster Abbey? What happened?"

John's eyes shifted to Sherlock for a moment and he suppressed an amused look.

Mycroft pulled up an eyebrow. "It looks a little like someone simply crashed into it with a small car, but no one has seen anything happen. That's the point. One moment when no one is looking, and suddenly a huge amount of damage is done."

Sherlock considered it for a moment. "Sounds mildly interesting," he admitted.

Mycroft allowed himself a mildly pleased look. "My car is waiting in front of the door. I could get you there immediately."

Sherlock considered for a moment. "Alright," he said. "I just have to go to the corner shop first." He looked at John. "Meet you by the car?" he asked, and then got to his feet and went to get his coat.

"Uhm, yeah," John answered, giving him a questioning look.

Sherlock winked at him and then nodded curtly at his brother. "Mycroft," he said and then he was out the door.

Mycroft shook his head. "Anything you still need to do, or can we go downstairs?" he asked John.

"No, I'm ready. I'll just get my jacket," John answered, getting up.

"Don't forget your keys," Mycroft said pointedly, and John gave him a look that said '_really?_'.

...

Sherlock greeted them as he came strolling up the street, hands in his pockets and, quite unusually, chewing gum.

John frowned at him, but didn't say anything as long as Mycroft was still around.

"I'll leave you two to your task. I am expected elsewhere. Don't forget to report on your findings," Mycroft said, then nodded at John and got into the first of the two black cars.

Once they were settled in the back of the other car, Sherlock pressed the button that closed the partition between them and the driver. He glanced around and then took the gum from his mouth and used it to cover the lens of the small camera mounted over one of the doors, before he turned to John with a smile. "Where were we?" he asked.

For a moment, John glanced hesitantly in the direction of the driver and at the tinted windows, but then he answered Sherlock's gaze with a smirk. "You are unbelievable. The craziest man I ever met."

Sherlock chuckled as he unbuttoned John's jeans. "And that's a good thing, right?"

"Oh yes. I love it." John grinned and pulled him in for a hungry kiss.

Sherlock returned the kiss eagerly, as he pulled John's jeans and pants down. Then he leaned down and with a happy hum, finally took him in his mouth.

John let out a small moan and tangled his fingers in Sherlock's hair.

Sherlock knew their time was fairly short, so he went right to work. He sucked hard and began bobbing his head.

John placed a hand over his own mouth to muffle his groan, hoping that the driver wouldn't realise what was going on. "Fuck, Sherlock," he whispered.

Sherlock wrapped one hand around the base of John's cock and let it follow the movements of his head.

John tensed and tried to relax the hand in Sherlock's curls to keep himself from pulling. "I'm not going to last long like this," he said between clenched teeth.

Sherlock responded by sucking hard and then began moving faster.

John whimpered and had to bite his hand when his orgasm hit him.

Sherlock swallowed and then straightened up, a smug grin spreading across his face. Then he reached up, took his chewing gum off the camera and returned it to his mouth.

John giggled weakly. "Seriously. You just gave me a blowjob in a _car_ and I don't even get a chance to touch you?"

Sherlock glanced out of the window. "We're here," he said, just as the car pulled up in front of Westminster Abbey.

"Oh, right." John tried to clear his mind a little and pulled his clothes straight, then leaned in for a quick kiss on Sherlock's jaw.

Sherlock smiled at him before getting out of the car. There was no need to ask for directions, as the damages were obvious enough.  
Right next to one of the windows, there was a large hole in the wall, just large enough for a man to pass through. Stones and rubble covered the ground around it.

John pulled up his eyebrows. "Doesn't that look more like... you know, someone was making an extra door opening, rather than random vandalism?"

Sherlock nodded. "Yes. Except, why knock a hole in the wall right next to a window? Why not just break the glass?" As he approached the building, he got out his folding magnifier and was soon busy examining the edges of the hole as well as the rubble on the ground.  
After half an hour he called John over. "This was not done by force," he said. "Look at the debris. If something had crashed into the wall, all the stones would have fallen away from the impact. But there are stones on both sides of the wall and even in the hole itself. It's like they just... collapsed. Like the mortar binding them just disappeared."  
John frowned. "What do you think happened?"  
Sherlock picked up a stone and examined it. "The mortar was dissolved," he said. "But not by a chemical agent. It's more as if it crumbled. As if it was shaken apart." He turned the stone over in his hand. "By... sound waves...?" He dropped the stone and began pacing. "But that is not possible. No technology exists that would be capable of that."  
Suddenly he stopped and turned to look at the stones on the ground. "I need your help, John," he said as he rushed over and picked two of them up.

John was immediately by his side and kneeled down.

"Help me gather the stones," Sherlock said. He picked up a few more, carried them a little distance and placed them on the ground. "We have to piece them together," he explained. "See if anything is missing. This was not done to gain entrance, but to get at the stones themselves."

John sighed and started on the almost impossible puzzle the stones were. "Why would anyone take the stones? Even if they're valuable, everyone will know the sellers are the vandals. Is this some strange collecting mania?"

"Let's start with figuring out what is missing before we try speculating on why," Sherlock answered with a smile.

"Sorry, theorising without the facts again," John chuckled, putting a couple of stones in place.

Sherlock grinned. This was quite a different puzzle from what he was used to. But definitely challenging.

Soon, the challenge was mostly replaced by frustration, at least to John. Some bits just didn't seem to fit, and although the stones hadn't been so heavy at the start, his left shoulder was beginning to hurt. Of course he didn't say anything and went on, relieved as he saw that they were making progress.

Finally Sherlock stepped back. He pointed at the hole in the middle of the stone-puzzle. "There," he said. He smiled at John. "Why don't you go find us some coffee and I'll see what I can learn from this."

John nodded. "Alright. Don't wreck the rest of the building while I'm gone."

Sherlock chuckled. "I'll try not to." He went over to the two police men posted to keep an eye on the site and demanded to be supplied with lots of paper and pencils.

...

"Did the stones reveal their secrets?" John asked when he was back, handing Sherlock his coffee.

Sherlock nodded and held up several rough sketches covered in scribbled notes and numbers.  
"The stone was slightly larger than any of the others, but otherwise it seemed fairly ordinary. At least that's all I can deduce from the evidence at hand."

John looked thoughtfully at the sketches. "Should we go to the other damaged buildings and see if there's any similarity?"

"Brilliant suggestion, John." Sherlock grinned. "Good thing Mycroft's car is still here." He took a fresh piece of gum and started chewing.

With some difficulty, John managed not to stare at his mouth and went to the car.

Sherlock got in and leaned forward to talk to the driver. "We need to visit the other sites where this vandalism has taken place. In reverse chronological order." At a look from the driver, he sighed dramatically. "The newest one first, the oldest one last." Then he leaned back and raised the partition.

John slowly looked at him. "Do you want...?"

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "Do I want what?"

John waved in the direction of Sherlock's crotch. "You've got chewing gum."

"Indeed I do," he chuckled as he took the gum from his mouth and once more covered the lens. Then he looked at John expectantly.

John smirked up at him and sat closer to stroke his neck, while he started opening Sherlock's trousers with his other hand. "Crazy," he repeated, pressing a kiss on his neck before he bent down to his lap.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

At the fourth site they visited, the debris had not only been cleared away, but also disposed of and after a brief round of verbal abuse of the people responsible, Sherlock decided that he had enough data to get to work.  
"Besides," he remarked, pinching John's bum, "my jaw is beginning to ache from all that gum. Let's head home."

John gave him a look, but couldn't help feeling chuffed. One round of hauling stones less, and the car rides had almost made it worth it anyway.

When they got out at Baker Street, Sherlock told the driver to inform Mycroft that he would be expecting all relevant information on the sites of vandalism and then turned to John.  
"Do you want to go up and snuggle on the sofa or should we go out for dinner?"

John smiled. "As tempting as snuggling sounds, I'm afraid we don't have much food in. Unless you were planning to eat that dog."

Sherlock snorted. "And you call me crazy." He took John's hand in his. "What do you feel like tonight? Italian? Chinese?"

"Indian?" John asked.

Sherlock nodded. "Sounds good." He gave John a quick kiss and then led him down the street.

...

"Are you actually going to eat?" John asked while they sat down in the small restaurant.

Sherlock nodded. "All that chewing has stimulated the production of stomach acid. It needs something to work on." He chuckled. "Well, something more..."

John raised an eyebrow, but looked amused as he took the menu. "Mycroft will wonder what is wrong with his cameras, blacking out every time we are in his car," he giggled.

Sherlock chuckled. "I suspect a quick examination of the 'faulty' camera will reveal a strong scent of spearmint. I'm confident he'll figure it out. Maybe it will even teach him to knock in the future." He scanned the menu then suddenly laughed. "Speaking of spearmint, I'm afraid that taste will be having a quite unusual effect on me from now on."

John laughed. "Maybe we should order some mint-filled naan bread with our meal."

"Oy," Sherlock grinned. "Don't make me get under the table. I don't want you completely spent before I can get you home."

John grinned back at him. "I thought you had to think about the case once we got home."

Sherlock shrugged. "I can't get any further until Mycroft has the files sent over. Let's hope he's not that efficient for once. Besides, the vandalisms have occurred with precisely seventy two hours between, so there is plenty of time before the next incident."

John smirked. "Good. So we don't need to rush our dinner."

They ordered their food and John relaxed in his chair.

...

As soon as they were back at Baker Street, Sherlock led John to the sofa and pulled him down to lie on top of him. "Finally I can enjoy you without having to keep track of how much time we have depending on the route and traffic. All that stuff really is most distracting." He kissed John deeply.

John chuckled and greedily answered his kiss.

Sherlock had just gotten his hand down John's pants, when there was a loud knock on the door.

John groaned and rested his head back with a sigh. "Not again."

Sherlock sighed and freed himself from John. He went over and opened the door, perhaps a bit more aggressively than needed. The young courier was so startled that he almost jumped back. He stared at Sherlock for a second and then, wordlessly, handed him several large envelopes, before bolting.  
Sherlock frowned. Then he looked down and chuckled as he realised that John had not only managed to unbutton his shirt but his trousers as well. Still grinning, he carried the envelopes to the table.  
"I'm sorry, love," he said as he opened the first one. "It looks like we will have to postpone. Could you make some tea?"

"Yeah." John was already pulling his trousers back up, knowing that there wasn't much chance they'd postpone the files instead. "Make yourself decent again though."

"Sure." Sherlock nodded as he began skimming through the pages.

John shook his head and thought to himself that Sherlock would at least notice if in the end he couldn't resist having his hands all over him, with all that beauty half-naked. He went to the kitchen to get some tea.

Sherlock was soon on to the second envelope, discarding all irrelevant data.

...

After a few hours, John came out of the bathroom in his pyjamas and sat down next to Sherlock. "Interesting?" he asked.

Sherlock smiled. "Very," he said. "It's Portland stone. The missing stones from each of the sites all come from the same quarry in Dorset. I have no idea why anyone would want to 'collect' these stones, but that has got to be the connection."

"Hmm." John leaned his head against Sherlock's arm. "You're not planning to go to Dorset right now, are you?"

Sherlock chuckled. "Don't worry. I already checked the quarry and surrounding area. There have been no unusual incidents. Those doing this seem to be only interested in stones used in buildings, and apparently only specific stones. But we will need to figure out if it is limited to London, and which buildings may be potential targets."

"Will you come to bed first?" John asked.

Sherlock considered for a moment. "I take it you are too tired to start researching buildings containing Portland stone?"

"Honestly? I am, and I think my shoulder will appreciate lying down for a while," John answered.

Sherlock got to his feet and wrapped his arms around John. "Then how about I see if I can loosen it up a bit and then we go to bed? Some aspect of this case tells me there is no need to hurry."

John smiled up at him. "I'm grateful to that aspect."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," Sherlock said as he stood upright again and began massaging John's shoulder gently.

"He?" John asked, a little confused, suppressing a contented hum and tilting his head to give Sherlock more room to work.

"Mycroft," Sherlock said chuckling. "He would have been even more annoying if it was urgent."

"Oh. But in that case, the fact that he walked in on us counter-balances being grateful," John said with a grin.

Sherlock chuckled. "Indeed," he said, as he continued to work John's shoulder gently with his fingers.

"I love your fingers," John mumbled, feeling relaxed under Sherlock's touch.

Sherlock smiled. His hands began moving more slowly and then he reached down and unbuttoned John's pyjamas. He pushed the fabric out of the way and let his hands slide over his shoulders and back, not really massaging anymore.

John sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying his touch.

Sherlock continued, slowly moving around to John's chest. He leaned down so he could kiss his neck. "I love you," he whispered, his lips brushing John's skin.

John turned towards him to meet his lips. "Let's go to bed."

Sherlock nodded and stepped back to let John get to his feet.

...

Once in the bedroom, John gently took off Sherlock's unbuttoned shirt to kiss the smooth skin beneath. Sherlock closed his eyes and enjoyed John's touch.

John dragged Sherlock's trousers down and then pushed him on the bed.

Sherlock smiled at John. "This time," he said. "There'd better not be any interruptions."

John didn't answer, but threw Sherlock's trousers and socks on the floor. Then he straddled his hips and kissed him deeply.

Sherlock let his hands slide down John's back and then grabbed his arse.

John moaned into the kiss and pressed his hips down against Sherlock's.

"What do you want?" Sherlock muttered. "How do you want me?"

"In me," John breathed against his lips.

Sherlock nodded. Holding on to John's hips, he flipped them over so he was on top.

John grunted and pulled him close, locking their mouths together again.

Sherlock raised himself up, enough to get his pants off. Then he looked down at John. "Those pyjamas have really got to go," he said teasingly. He kissed his way down John's chest, moving down his body and pulling his pyjama bottoms and pants along as he went. As he kissed John's stomach, he was able to get them off him and then he paused, his lips hovering less than an inch from John's cock. Then he chuckled. "I think we got enough of that in the car," he said teasingly as he looked up at John.

"Yeah, come here," John said with breathless urgency, putting a hand on Sherlock's shoulder to make him return to his mouth.

Sherlock moved up so he could kiss John. He settled between his legs and slowly began pushing into him. John moaned and clung on to Sherlock's shoulders. Sherlock paused when he was halfway in. Then he began moving in small thrusts, going a little deeper each time. John gasped and broke the kiss, encouragingly stroking Sherlock's back.

Sherlock took his time. When he was finally as deep as he could go, he let out a low groan. "You feel amazing," he muttered.

John sighed in pleasure. "You too. Move. Please."

"Of course, love." He kissed John and then began rolling his hips slowly, but in a way so he slid almost completely out before pushing back in.

John groaned and his eyes rolled back. "Sherlock..."

Sherlock pressed his lips to John's again and kept moving.

Moaning, John rolled his hips to meet his thrusts, his cock trapped between their bodies.

Sherlock kept up the same pace as he let his hands travel up and down John's sides and thighs. "You have the softest skin," he murmured.

John whimpered. "I'm so fucking close already," he said, biting his lip to make himself last just a little longer.

Sherlock leaned down to suck gently on his neck as he began moving faster.

John gasped and wrapped his arms around Sherlock's back, soon letting out a loud moan as he was coming.

Sherlock slowed down as John relaxed. "You look so fucking beautiful when you fall apart," he muttered, not taking his eyes off John.

John sighed and pulled him in for another kiss. "I love you so much," he mumbled.

"I love you too," Sherlock said and then began thrusting faster and harder.

"Yes, come on, love," John whispered between a few small sounds as he let Sherlock fuck him.

"You're so tight right now," Sherlock groaned. He pulled almost all the way out and then thrust in one final time. "John..." he cried out.

As Sherlock slumped on top of him, John kissed his shoulder and neck and stroked his hair. "It feels amazing when you come inside me," he said softly in his ear.

Sherlock nodded, chuckling breathlessly. "It feels amazing when you come around me," he gasped.

John smiled and nuzzled his neck.

Sherlock pulled out and rolled off him. "Want a shower or should I just bring you something to clean up with?" he muttered sleepily.

"Too lazy to shower," John answered. "Just hurry up to be back in my arms."

Sherlock laughed as he got off the bed and went to the bathroom. Five minutes later he was back, his hair damp. He handed John a wet cloth and a towel, before climbing into the bed. "Don't want you to wake up sticky," he said with a wink. "You never know what demands could be placed on you first thing in the morning."

John laughed sleepily and quickly cleaned up, so he could snuggle against Sherlock. "Sleep well, love."

"You too," Sherlock muttered as he wrapped an arm around John, pulling him closer.

John sighed happily and immediately dozed off.

Sherlock lay for a while, pondering the new case, but at some point he too fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Like usual, John was completely enveloped in long limbs when he woke up. He smiled and enjoyed the cuddle for a while, before he remembered the case and gently pulled himself a little loose, kissing Sherlock's cheek.

Sherlock hummed happily and pulled John back into his embrace. "Y're not going anywhere," he muttered.

John chuckled. "Hmm, no, not if I don't have to."

"Good." Sherlock nuzzled him sleepily.

John smiled and laid an arm around him as well. "What about the case?"

"It can wait half an hour, can't it?" Sherlock muttered, and without opening his eyes, he managed to find John's mouth to kiss him lazily.

John smiled against his mouth. "Certainly." Then he kissed him again, stroking his back.

"John?" Sherlock said. "Do you love me even when I'm lazy?"

John chuckled. "Can I ever not love you?"

"I hope not," Sherlock said and smiled, his eyes still closed. "Because I would really love a morning shag, but I'm just so very very comfortable right now..."

John smiled and kissed him again. "You'll wake up soon enough, I know you. To be honest I'm enjoying the peace as long as it lasts."

"Well," Sherlock grinned and opened one eye. "I have this idea...", he pulled back a little and rolled onto his stomach, "of how we could get a morning shag and I could stay comfortable..." He spread his legs slightly. "If you're up for it..."

John chuckled and rolled over to lie on top of him. "See? I told you it wouldn't be quiet for too long."

"No one's forcing you," Sherlock teased.

"No one has to," John smiled, kissing his shoulder blade.

Sherlock made himself comfortable. "Good," he purred.

"What exactly do you want me to do while you lie there and enjoy?" John asked in a seductive voice.

Sherlock wriggled his arse teasingly. "Use your imagination," he muttered. He raised himself up enough to look at John over his shoulder. "I'm sure you can think of something."

John smirked. "Doesn't mean I don't like you saying it." He got the lube from the drawer next to the bed.

"Then by all means," Sherlock said, speaking in a mock formal voice, "if you would be so kind as to shag me thoroughly, I would be very much obliged to you." He chuckled and settled down again.

John laughed and slicked his fingers, then pushed two of them between the cheeks of Sherlock's arse to prepare him quickly. As Sherlock hummed with pleasure and closed his eyes, John dropped kisses on his back while he pulled his fingers back.

Sherlock tilted his hips back a little. "Have I told you this morning that I love you?" he asked.

"Hmm, not in words," John smiled, humming as he lubed his cock. "I love you too."

Sherlock smiled. "I know."

John positioned himself better over Sherlock, pulling his arse up a little, and smoothly pushed in, sighing with pleasure.

Sherlock groaned and arched his back.

"So beautiful," John whispered, kissing Sherlock's neck when he was in as far as he could.

Sherlock hummed and pushed up to make him move.

"You're even impatient when you've just claimed to be lazy and sleepy," John mumbled teasingly against the skin of Sherlock's neck, before pulling out a little and thrusting back.

"How can I not be, when it feels so good?" Sherlock groaned, pushing up to meet the thrust.

John moaned and started repeating the movement. "God, Sherlock."

Soon, he was quickening his pace, his face buried in Sherlock's shoulder. Sherlock groaned and tilted his hips back as far as he could to give John a better angle.

"Fuck," John gasped, thrusting harder and biting Sherlock's shoulder to muffle his moans.

Sherlock cried out at the pain. Then he groaned loudly. "Keep... Keep doing..." But he didn't finish before he came, clenching around John.

John quickly kissed the spot he had bitten and then pressed his forehead against it as he finished with quick, hard thrusts.

Sherlock lay still for a moment, considering the odds of John letting him go back to sleep. Not likely, he decided, and opened his eyes. "That was indeed a very comfortable morning shag," he said smugly.

"Hmmm," John said, still lying on top of Sherlock's back as he was catching his breath. Reluctantly, he pulled out and lay down on his back next to Sherlock, looking at him. "Good morning."

Sherlock rolled onto his side and leaned in to kiss John. "Good morning, love," he said, before sitting up. "I'm just going for a quick shower and then we can get started."

John also sat up and looked at the sheets, smirking. "You've made a mess."

Sherlock grinned. "Oops?" he tried, as he got off the bed.

"You'd better make sure the sheets get changed if you want me to look up... whatever it was you told me to look up, yesterday when I was sleepy," John chuckled, following him to the bathroom.

Sherlock groaned. "You can't be serious," he complained. "Boring research or... manual labour?" His tone made it quite clear that he considered either equally detestable.

John shrugged. "I'm not saying that it wasn't my fault, but you're the one who made the mess," he grinned.

Sherlock grumbled, but couldn't quite hide his smile. "You were definitely responsible," he said.

John looked smug and reached up for a kiss.

Sherlock smiled. "Considering I got exactly what I asked for this morning, I'll change the sheets this time. But you're still making the tea." He turned the water on.

"Deal," John smiled.

Sherlock laughed and stepped into the shower, pulling John along.

"So what was it again that you need me to do?" John asked when he was drying himself off after a quick shower.

"Two things," Sherlock said, while towelling his hair. "If it is in any way possible, we need a list of buildings in London where Portland stone has been used. The previous targets are from different eras, so there is nothing to go on there. So far, the type of stone is the only thing they have in common. Secondly, we need to know if similar vandalism has occurred anywhere else."

...

Sherlock did a fairly decent job making the bed. Then he settled on the sofa to think the case over.

Some time later, John turned away from the table, where he had been working on his laptop. "I don't even know where to start. Portland stone is used in a lot of places, not just here in London, but all over the world. And yet, there are no reports of any vandalism, or whatever this is, outside of London. I don't know what it means."

Sherlock opened his eyes and looked at John. "That won't be much help then," he said.  
"Maybe we should focus on how it is done for now and worry about the why later."

John nodded. "Do you need me to look up anything about sound waves?"

Sherlock smiled at him. "That would be great. Thanks."

"Ultrasonic waves can be used to disintegrate bacterial cells and all that, but a whole building? It would surprise me," John said after looking on his computer for a short while. He continued reading. "Although, apparently even ultrasonic weapons exist."

Sherlock perked up a bit. "Can you tell me more about the weapons?

"Uhm, give me a minute," John said.

"Of course," Sherlock got to his feet and went over to look out the window.

"You know, taking your most impatient pose doesn't actually help," John said with a small smile, before clicking through. "Hmm. It's mainly to do with destroying eardrums and causing pain. Apparently it can even make eyeballs vibrate." He pulled a face. "Okay, all that isn't very useful. There is an infrasonic weapon that goes through walls, if I get it right? No, that's just in the sense of leaving the sound through. I don't think it actually _crumbles _stone."

Sherlock tugged absentmindedly at his lower lip. "So someone broke up the mortar with sound waves. But no technology exists, that would be able to do that... Intriguing."

John scrolled further on the page he was reading, but shrugged. "It appears so."

"So someone did something impossible for a reason we cannot, at this point, possibly figure out." He rubbed his hands together. "Looks like I've been a good boy this year."

John chuckled. "You haven't though."

Sherlock turned to him. "Hey..." he said. "I've been nice. Sort of." He chuckled. "Well... sometimes."

John grinned. "Sometimes."

Sherlock began pacing. "We don't know how, we don't know why and we don't know where. All we know is when it will happen again." He stopped in the middle of the room and smiled at John. "You know what we have to do, don't you?"

John frowned. "Do you think this is... you know, something our friends in Cardiff could know more about?"

"They have certainly expanded the realm of what I consider possible," Sherlock said. "We should find out what they can tell us about sound waves."

John nodded. "Will you make the call, or?"

Sherlock nodded. "It's been a while since I've heard Jack's delightful accent." He smiled at John as he dialled the number.

John gave him a look, but couldn't hide his grin.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ianto had finally managed to convince Gwen to go have lunch with Rhys, while he and Jack kept an eye on things at the Hub. He was lying naked on Jack's desk and the other man was riding him, when they heard the unwelcome chirp of Jack's phone

Jack groaned and grabbed the phone. "I'd better see if it's urgent- oh." His face lit up as he saw the name of the caller. "Better take this one." He winked at Ianto and sank down on his cock one last time before keeping perfectly still and putting the phone to his ear.

Ianto huffed and closed his eyes. He knew it was useless to protest.

"Hello, Sherlock. What a delight to hear from you. Still looking handsome as always?" Jack listened for a while, humming in the right places as Sherlock rattled off facts. Looking at Ianto's closed eyelids, he teasingly wiggled his hips.

Ianto groaned and opened his eyes just enough to glare at Jack.

Jack smirked and put a finger to his lips, indicating that Ianto had to be quiet. "Sounds interesting. We'll come over to London," he said into the phone. "After finishing some... business, at least."

Ianto had had enough of Jack's cheekiness, so before he had a chance to hang up, he bucked his hips, thrusting up hard.

Jack couldn't hold back a loud moan and almost dropped his phone. "No, that was nothing," he panted, answering Sherlock. "Just the unfinished business. See you soon." He quickly put down the phone next to them on the desk and directed his attention back to Ianto.

"So..." Ianto said, thrusting again. "We're going to London?"

"Yes," Jack answered a little breathlessly, throwing his head back as he started moving again as well.

"That could be... fun..." Ianto grabbed Jack's hips and dug in his fingers.

Jack gasped and leaned forward to kiss him.

Ianto returned the kiss, moving a hand up to pull gently on Jack's hair. Then, with a few hard thrusts, he came, groaning loudly.

"Oh, fuck, yes," Jack groaned, before kissing Ianto again and reaching between them to stroke himself.

Ianto took a moment to catch his breath, then he pushed Jack's hand away. "Let me," he panted.

Jack nodded, pulling himself up to give him a bit more room. "I'm really close," he mumbled, closing his eyes and biting his lip.

Ianto smiled and watched Jack as he stroked him fast, adding a little twist to the movement of his hand.

Jack came with a loud moan, slumping down on top of Ianto.

Ianto gave him a moment to recover, then asked: "So, what did Sherlock want? Did he just miss us or does he need help with one of his cases?"

"Of course he misses us. Everyone I've ever kissed always yearns for more," Jack said smugly, sounding a bit muffled because he was still nuzzling Ianto's neck. "But he's also got a case. Some vandal is destroying buildings in London, but because it happened with sound waves, he isn't sure that whoever did it was human..."

"You're such a prat, you know that?" Ianto chuckled, as he gently stroked Jack's back. "You really don't care that he was just using you the whole time. He even admitted it to you, didn't he?"

"I even helped him," Jack chuckled. "It was fun, so why wouldn't I?" He pushed himself up and looked around to locate his clothes.

Ianto pointed. "Behind the chair," he said. Then he frowned. "We can't leave Gwen here alone, though. I mean, she's tough, but not that tough."

"Maybe I should give Martha a call," Jack said. "Even if nothing happens, they'll love having the chance for a chat."

"Maybe I should stick around too then. I seem to recall Martha knowing some pretty amusing stories about you."

Jack smirked. "But she doesn't know other things. I'll give her a call."

Once he was dressed, he took his phone and put it on speaker, so Ianto could hear Martha as well.

"Jack!" Martha exclaimed as she answered. "So good to hear from you. How have you been?"

"Very good, thanks," Jack said, giving Ianto a grin. "What have you been up to?"

Martha laughed. "Oh, this and that. Broke my engagement with that doctor I told you about."

"Shame. Of course you're always welcome to join Ianto and me if you feel too lonely."

"Oh, no. It's not like that. I met someone else. We're getting married in four months."

"Ah, congratulations!" Jack said. "I hope he's handsome."

"He's very handsome." She laughed again. "And he tells me to send his love... Captain Cheesecake."

Jack started laughing. "Tell him it's still Captain Beefcake."

"I will. Now tell me. Did you call just to chat?"

Jack explained the situation and Martha was happy to come over. Once Gwen was informed, Jack and Ianto were ready to leave.

Gwen dropped them off at the station. "You take care now, boys," she said, kissing Jack's cheek. Then she turned to Ianto, who smiled and gave her a hug.  
"You too, girl," he said.

"Don't forget to share Martha's gossip when we get back," Jack smirked.

"Of course not," she said, laughing. "I wouldn't hold out on you." Then she tried to look stern. "And you, Jack. You try to behave around that gorgeous detective of yours, you hear me?"

Jack chuckled. "I'm sure Captain Watson will keep an eye on my behavior."

Ianto chuckled. "You can count on that." Then he glanced at his watch. "We better board the train now, Sir."

Jack nodded. "Have fun, Gwen," he winked.

"Oh believe me, I will," she said. "Martha has more than hinted that she still has some stories I haven't heard."

...

Ianto looked around as he got out of the cab. "Pretty posh address, isn't it?" he commented, as he manoeuvred his heavy suitcase to the door and rang the bell.

"What did you expect from our detective?" Jack smirked.

An elder lady, dressed in purple, opened the door and smiled. "Hello. You'll be here for the consulting detective, right?"

Jack nodded and gave her a charming smile, shaking her hand. "Captain Jack Harkness, and this is Ianto Jones."

"I'll just call the boys for you," Mrs. Hudson smiled back, turning around. "Boys! You've got visitors! I think it's that handsome American Sherlock was talking about!"

Upstairs, John looked up at Sherlock. "You _told_ her about him?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Sherlock grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "I might have mentioned him."

John sighed and got up. "We'd better go downstairs before he thinks you're getting changed to meet him."

"Or you could go greet them while I get changed," Sherlock teased.

John rolled his eyes, smiling, and went downstairs, where Mrs. Hudson was waiting. "They really look quite dishy, don't they?" she whispered.

John snorted. "Don't let Jack hear you." He put a few steps forward. "Hello, Ianto, Jack. We're really glad you could come. Come in, please."

Ianto smiled. "Glad to be here," he said, as he picked up the heavy suitcase again.  
Sherlock went to put on the kettle and, on impulse, quickly cleaned the teapot.

John pulled up his eyebrows as he came in and saw Sherlock standing by the sink, but he didn't comment on it to avoid making Jack feel too special. "You can just drop off your luggage there, I'll bring it to the bedroom upstairs later," he told Ianto. "Would you like some tea?"

Ianto looked momentarily flustered. Then he nodded. "That would be lovely," he said.  
Sherlock turned around and smiled. "Be with you in a moment," he called.

"Don't worry, we'll enjoy the view for a while," Jack chuckled, only able to see Sherlock's backside from where he was standing.

"Oh, you can sit down of course," John said. "I'll just help him with the tea for a moment and then we can get to business - to the case." He had forgotten how tiring it was to talk to Jack's ever-moving-eyebrowed face.

Sherlock chuckled as he picked up the kettle and poured boiling water into the pot. Then he turned to John. "Good to see them again, isn't it?" he teased and leaned down to kiss him. "Don't worry," he muttered. "I'll try to behave this time."

"You'd better, if you want me to pay attention to the case," John smirked.  
Ianto sat down in the sofa and looked around. "It is a very nice place you've got here," he said. "Uhm... cosy."

"Thanks. We're really fond of it, too," John answered, bringing Jack and Ianto a cup and sitting down next to Ianto, while Jack took a chair.

Sherlock followed, bringing tea for John and himself. He sat down in his usual chair and smiled at Jack.  
"So," he said. "Portland stone being taken from various buildings all over London. The mortar broken up by what appears to be sound waves, making great big holes in the walls, but leaving everything except one single stone from each place. Sound like anything you've encountered before?"

"I'm not sure," Jack answered thoughtfully. "Somehow, the use of sound waves sounds a little familiar, but I don't know if it could have anything to do with this case."

Sherlock nodded. "So... Plan B. We know there will be another incident in approximately 27 hours. But we have no way of knowing where. Do you have any way of detecting and tracking such an incident?"  
Ianto nodded. "Yes. I've brought one of Tosh's portable monitors. We should be able to set it up here."

"How does it work?" John asked curiously.

Ianto chuckled. "Stop me if I get too technical." He opened his suitcase and took out a device, not unlike a large laptop. "I turn this on, and if something unusual and alien happens, an alarm goes off and a dot appears on the map."  
Sherlock laughed. "So you haven't got a clue?"  
"No," Ianto admitted with a grin, "but it works."

Jack chuckled. "It's got something to do with energy spikes, but I can't tell you much more either. Anyway, what do you want to do if you see there's alien activity, Sherlock?"

Sherlock smiled. "That's not really my area, is it?"

"True," Jack smirked. "The thing is, once we register the activity, it might be too late by the time we get there."

"I know," Sherlock said. "I'm afraid that can't be helped. But if we know the moment it happens, maybe we will be able to pick something up on CCTV. There was nothing useful from any of the other incidents, but we might get lucky. Also, Mycroft is putting a car at our disposal, so we can get there as quickly as possible." He shrugged. "We need more data, before we can plan beyond that." He glanced at John. "At least, so far, no people have been harmed."

Jack nodded slowly. "And is there no way to get a list of possible places where it could happen next time? We could split up and wait by one of the buildings each, so our chances get somewhat bigger to see what is happening and who this vandal is..."

Sherlock smirked as he handed him the ten page list of buildings where Portland stone had been used. "Take your pick," he said.

"Yes, alright, you've made your point," Jack chuckled.

"So far the vandal didn't have a preference for famous buildings either," John said, after sipping his tea. "Maybe if we look at how his subjects were spread on the map...?" He looked at Sherlock.

Sherlock nodded. "I'm working on it. I'll let you know if I spot a pattern, but there's nothing so far."

"Then there actually isn't much we can do right now," Jack said.

Sherlock shrugged. "I've had some of the stones from the previous sites sent to the lab at St. Bart's. I'm going there to see if I can learn more from them."

"If you want to do some experiments on sound as well, it's perhaps better if I go to find the equipment," John suggested.

Sherlock smiled at him. "That is a really good idea." He turned to Jack. "So, perhaps one of you should go help John and the other can come help me at the lab."

"Jack?" John asked with a small smile.

"Sure, Captain," Jack smirked.

Sherlock smiled at Ianto. "I guess that means you're coming with me."  
Ianto nodded. "Sure. Let me just put our bags up in the room, and then we can go." He stood up and took his suitcase. He pointed towards the door. "This way, right?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were working here," Molly said when she entered the lab and saw Sherlock. She quickly turned around to avoid disturbing him and couldn't suppress a squeak when she bumped into someone and had to grab that someone's strong arms to avoid falling over. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't even see you!" She quickly let go of his arms and went bright red.

Ianto smiled. "That's quite alright," he said. Then he held out his hand. "I'm Ianto. Ianto Jones."

"M-Molly Hooper." She shook his hand, clearly feeling embarrassed.

He chuckled softly. "Nice to meet you, Molly. Do you work here?"

"Yes, well, not at the moment, I'm just standing here chatting with you - not that there's anything wrong with that, of course! It's nothing urgent I have to do. I just meant..." She blushed even more fiercely, clearly lost for words.

Ianto laughed. "No... What I meant was... Could you perhaps show me where to get some coffee? Sherlock asked for some a while back, but I don't really know my way around here."

"Oh, sure. I'll just get the coffee. What's he doing this time?" Suddenly she frowned. "Where's John?"

"No, no." Ianto laid a hand on her arm. "I'll get the coffee. I just don't know where to go." He blushed slightly as he withdrew his hand. "John should be along shortly, I believe."

"I'll show you the way," Molly said quickly.

"Thank you so much." Ianto hurried over to open the door for her.

A few minutes later, John and Jack entered the lab where Sherlock was working, carrying the equipment together.

"Where shall we put it, Sherlock?" John asked.

Sherlock didn't look up but pointed vaguely towards the farthest corner.

They put it down, then Jack turned towards Sherlock. "Where's Ianto?"

Sherlock finally looked up. He glanced over by the door, where Ianto had been. Then he shrugged, said: "Don't know," and got back to work.  
At that moment the door opened and Ianto came in, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. "And then I told him: 'There's no way you'll fit through there.' But of course he had to try anyway..." he said over his shoulder, laughing.

Molly giggled and smiled at him. "I can only imagine. Oh, hello, John." She hardly spared Jack a look, smiling back at Ianto.

Jack pulled up an eyebrow at Ianto.

"Oh, hi guys," Ianto said. "We didn't know you were back. I'm afraid you'll have to get your own coffee." He put one of the cups next to Sherlock and then turned to Molly again. "And of course, I had to clean up."

"Seriously?" Molly giggled.

"Seriously indeed," Jack muttered under his breath, but apparently John was the only one who heard it.

John grinned up at Jack and then went to stand next to Sherlock. "Anything interesting?" he asked him.

Sherlock frowned. "It is interesting in the sense that it is unlike anything I have seen or heard of before. It is frustrating in the sense that I still have no idea how it was accomplished."

John put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe Jack and I can start the sound experiments for you?" he asked, looking up at Jack, who was still standing in the same spot, staring at Ianto and Molly with an unreadable expression.

Sherlock smiled at him and nodded. "That would be great. Thank you."  
Ianto leaned in to whisper in Molly's ear. "I do know some other great stories, but maybe this is not the right time and place." He glanced over at Jack.

"Oh, it's almost time for my lunch break," Molly said, then looked surprised that she had dared to make the suggestion that Ianto would join her - more or less.

"Jack?" John said, having some difficulty getting his attention. "Can you help me install these things?" He waved at the instruments.

"What? Yes, sure," Jack answered distractedly, before focusing back on Ianto.

John gave him a look and started to try figuring out the apparatus.

"Perfect," Ianto said to Molly. "I'm kind of hungry myself. Is the cafeteria here any good? Or do you know of any good cafés in the area?"

"Oh yes, the cafeteria is quite alright. Would you really like to join me?" Molly asked, smiling widely.

"_Jack_," John said, as the other captain was audibly gritting his teeth.

Reluctantly, Jack turned to go help him.

"God, and I thought I was bad," John mumbled.

Jack gave him a look but didn't answer.

Ianto nodded. "I certainly would." He held out his arm in mock formality. "Shall we?"

Molly let out a little squee and enthusiastically gripped his arm as they went out.

Sherlock sighed audibly. "Finally," he said. "Now let's focus."

John chuckled and Jack grimaced. "Is... _she_... always like that?" he asked.

"More or less," John answered. "She used to hang around Sherlock though, but somehow she has understood that that didn't help her."

Sherlock chuckled. "I think John constantly kissing me, helped quite a lot with that."

John grinned sheepishly. "Yes, well. You know what to do, Jack."

"Hm." Jack still looked like he had swallowed a thundercloud, but at least he was getting more efficient with the equipment.

...

Once they had finished their work in the lab, without any useful results, Sherlock made a call to Mycroft and requested the loose stones from every ruined building as well as a place to reconstruct them. A few hours later, Sherlock, John and Jack were hard at work, when Ianto finally entered. He smiled as he walked over to Sherlock. "So," he asked. "What do you want me to do?"  
Sherlock pointed over at one of the untouched piles of stone. "It's basically a big jigsaw," he said. "Just don't get the different sites mixed up."

Jack pulled up his eyebrows when Ianto went past him. "Had some luck with Miss Hooper, it seems?"

Ianto grinned at him and shrugged before bending down to pick up the first stone.

Jack stared at him, breathing heavily. "Ianto, can we have a word in private?" he asked.  
John smirked at Sherlock before he put down another stone. Sherlock smiled and rolled his eyes.  
Ianto finished comparing two stones before straightening up. "Yes, Jack?" he asked.

"In private," Jack nodded, ripping his eyes away from Ianto's arse and pointing to the back exit of the old warehouse.

Ianto smiled and caught John's eyes before heading for the door.

John winked and grinned.

"Ianto," Jack said as soon as they were out of earshot.

Ianto turned to look at him. "Yes, Sir?" he asked, seemingly politely curious.

"Ianto, as... important as you are for Torchwood, I am still your boss. I honestly can't remember giving you the permission to take some hours off, and being in the middle of a case, working together with our friends, it was an extremely irresponsible thing to do." Jack gave him a stern look. "Got that?"

Ianto smiled and nodded. "I was networking, Sir. Making connections in case we need it at a later point."

Jack pulled up his eyebrows. "Miss Hooper has known Sherlock and John for years. There really was no need, as you could easily have seen."

"I was thinking of Torchwood's interests. For the future. You never know when it will come in handy to have an inside contact at a London hospital." He smiled. "And it was time for my lunch break."

"I decide when it's time for your lunch break," Jack said, his voice almost a growl. Then he pushed Ianto back against the wall and kissed him hard.

Ianto gasped in surprise, but quickly surrendered to the kiss.

Jack didn't let go nor break the kiss, pushing himself against Ianto's body. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack, pulling him even closer. Jack sneaked his hand between their bodies and quickly opened Ianto's trousers. Ianto laughed breathlessly and ran one of his hands up into Jack's hair.

"If you don't mind..." Jack mumbled against his lips.

"Go ahead... Sir," Ianto teased.

Jack softly bit Ianto's lip while pushing his trousers and pants down to his thighs.

He sank to his knees and looked up at Ianto before grabbing his hips and taking his cock in his mouth, sucking hard.

Ianto gasped. "Ja... Jack..." he stammered, running his fingers through the captain's hair.

Jack mercilessly took him deeper, then pulled back a little to tease him with his tongue.

Ianto shuddered. "Oh my god... Jack." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

Jack smirked around him and started bobbing his head. Ianto moaned and curled his finger's in Jack's hair, tugging gently.

Jack pulled back and teasingly looked up. "Do you want to finish like this?"

"I... I wouldn't mind..." Ianto stammered. "Unless... you have... other plans."

Jack grinned and took him back in his mouth, working him with the same energy as before.

"Fuck..." Ianto moaned. "Jack... I'm..." His hips bucked as he came.

Jack licked him clean and then looked up, still on his knees. "Do you think she's as good at that as I am?"

Ianto chuckled, stroking Jack's cheek. "I really wouldn't know, Sir, but she knows a lot about cats."

Jack laughed and got up. "A lot of good that is."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be very helpful the next time I need to find coffee or food at St. Bart's," Ianto said before kissing him.

Jack passionately kissed him back. "Let's go back to work."

"Unless," Ianto placed a gentle hand on the bulge in Jack's trousers, "you need a hand with... that."

Jack smirked. "Only if you insist..."

Ianto grinned and then kissed Jack as he opened his trousers and began stroking him. Jack let out a breathy moan and leaned forward against Ianto, who kissed him deeply as he stroked him. Then when he felt Jack getting close, he dropped to his knees and finished him with his mouth.

Jack came with a loud groan, leaning with his hands against the wall. "God, Ianto."

Ianto tucked him back in and then got to his feet. "Work? Captain?"

Jack wrapped his arms around his shoulders and kissed him again, then smiled at him as he pulled back. "_Now_ we're ready for work."

Ianto chuckled as they walked back to help the others.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sherlock flooped down on the sofa with a dramatic sigh. "Excellent dinner, John," he muttered as he closed his eyes. It had been a long day, but most of the walls had been reconstructed, which meant that he now had a fairly exact image of four of the missing stones. He toyed with them in his mind, trying to find the common factor.  
Ianto glanced at him before getting to his feet and picking up his and Jack's plates. "Let me help you with these, John," he said.

John gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, that's very kind." He took the other plates and followed him to the kitchen, while Jack used the free room on the table to start setting up the portable monitor.

Ianto cleared his throat nervously as he filled the sink with water. "I... I'm sorry for my little disappearing act today," he said. "You know... with Ms Hooper."

John chuckled. "No problem. You didn't miss much, just a frustrated Sherlock when the sound experiments didn't work out. Jack wasn't too much fun to have around though," he grinned.

Ianto nodded. "So I gathered. I wonder what was bothering him..." He looked down, trying to hide a pleased grin.

John smirked. "It was a good thing for Molly as well. She could use some self-confidence," he said while he took a cloth.

"She's a sweet girl."

"Did, uhm, things change between you two?" John asked tentatively, moving his head in Jack's direction.

Ianto sighed. "Not really. Things are what they are. Which is... fine."

John nodded. "I was just wondering because he got so... worked up." He took one of the plates from Ianto to dry it.

Ianto shrugged and smiled a little. "That was unexpected."

John smiled. "Well, if I have to believe Sherlock, it's nice to know and take advantage."

Ianto blinked and paused. Then he grinned. "Yes, I see... But it wouldn't be fair, would it? To Ms Hooper I mean."

"That's true, but you know, there's always Sherlock and me. I mean, not for anything serious, but some flirting to tease Jack a little won't harm anyone."

Ianto turned to look at him. "Seriously? You'd do that?"

John smiled and shrugged, before putting the plates away in the cupboard. "It's only fair. Jack flirts with everyone. So why wouldn't you do the same if you get something out of it?"

"I suppose you're right." Ianto glanced towards the sitting room. "But do you really think Sherlock would..." He shrugged.

"At least we have to let him in on the plan. Although..." John looked mischievous.

Ianto frowned. "Although...?"

"Oh, nothing," John grinned.

Ianto studied him intently, grinning slightly. "What are you up to?"

"Just some fun. Sherlock has never shown much of his jealousy, but now I think back to the time before we were together, when he met my girlfriends..." John chuckled.

"Oh..." Ianto frowned. "But won't he see through it? I mean... He's Sherlock Holmes..."

John shrugged. "Nothing lost in that case. You'll still have your fun with Jack, and I have fun with Sherlock anyway."

Ianto took John's hand for a moment. "Thank you." Then he blushed slightly and turned away. "Should we make some tea?"

"Yes, great idea." John nodded.

"Better make some for the boys too, right?" Ianto asked with a slightly wicked grin.

"Yeah." John looked behind him, to where Jack was working on the computer-like device. "They're both so focused, I don't even know if they'll notice we're staying in the kitchen just a little bit too long." He winked.

Ianto giggled. "I'm sure we can catch their attention. Somehow." He put a hand on John's shoulder and laughed, leaning towards him a little.

Jack looked up as he heard Ianto's laughter. "Do you care to share the mirth?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, it's nothing, just a little inside joke," John laughed, touching Ianto's hand on his shoulder for a moment before taking tea cups out of the cupboard.

Ianto smiled at him as he prepared the tea. "This might turn out to be easier than we thought," he said, keeping his voice low.

John gave him another wink, this time visible to Jack, then brought him his cup of tea.

"Thanks," Jack said, looking a little suspicious before he sipped it.

Ianto chuckled as he brought Sherlock his tea. Then he put his and John's cups on the small table and positioned himself on the arm of the remaining chair, smiling at John.

John grinned at him and took the chair, patting Ianto's knee while he sat down.

Sherlock glanced at them and frowned as he sipped his tea. Then he looked at Jack. "How is it coming along?" he asked.

"Nothing special. An energy spike here and there, but we can't expect a city like London to be completely without aliens. How many hours before you expect the next attack?" Jack asked.

"Tomorrow. Early afternoon," Sherlock answered. "So we'll have plenty of time to prepare, decide who should be where and what to do when it happens."

Jack nodded.

"And for other things," John said, smirking up at Ianto.

Ianto giggled and almost spilled his tea.

"Careful," John laughed, steadying his hand.

Jack's eyes went from one to the other. "So maybe we should focus on making plans."

"Yes," Sherlock said, getting to his feet and walking over to turn on his laptop and the printer.

While Sherlock covered the wall with printouts, pictures and notes, he made sure everyone was up to date on the previous incidents. Then they agreed that Ianto and John would remain at the flat to keep an eye on the monitor, while Sherlock and Jack would be ready in Mycroft's car, to rush to the scene of the new incident.

"So, we know what to do tomorrow," John said. "Time to catch some sleep first, then?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, best to get some rest before the action... Ianto and I got the bedroom upstairs, right?"

"Sure." John barely suppressed a smirk and looked at Ianto, who blushed slightly.  
Sherlock glanced at the wall one final time. Then he took John's hand and pulled him to his feet. "If you gentlemen will excuse us," he said, and practically dragged John to the bedroom. As soon as the door was closed behind them, he pushed John against it and kissed him hard. When he pulled back he grinned and whispered, "I'd almost forgotten how incredibly hot you are when you're flirting."

Ianto glanced at the closed door, his mouth slightly open.

Jack cleared his throat. "Upstairs, then, Ianto?"

Ianto closed his mouth before looking at Jack and nodding. He got to his feet and headed for the stairs.

Jack followed him on the stairs, but almost forgot to enjoy the view. "What happened to 'don't flirt with Sherlock, he and John make a good couple'?" he asked once they had entered the bedroom.

Ianto turned to him, frowning. "I'm not flirting with Sherlock!?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "It's just the same thing with John. Same relationship. Why the sudden change of opinion?"

Ianto turned away and began undressing. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "John and I became friends when they were with us in Cardiff. We are happy to see each other again."

"Hm. I've never seen you so affectionate with a friend before," Jack mumbled, starting to unbutton his own shirt.

"You've only seen me with Torchwood staff before, Jack. Sure, we are friends, but it's different. We're always on the job somehow. With John I can be... off duty."

"I see." Jack took off his trousers and lay down on his back on the bed.

Ianto hung his suit and shirt in the closet. Then he took off his socks and got into bed too.

Jack folded his arms under his head and looked at him from the corner of his eye.

Ianto smiled and leaned over to give him a quick chaste kiss. "Goodnight, Jack," he said and then turned on his other side and made himself comfortable.

"Goodnight," Jack mumbled, staring up at the ceiling.

Ianto smiled as he closed his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Is it me or do I smell coffee?" John mumbled. It was early in the morning and he was lying half on top of Sherlock, somewhere in the middle of their morning snog.

Sherlock shrugged, pulling John back into the kiss. He was definitely not done with him yet.

John hummed and tangled his hand in Sherlock's hair. "If our visitors are awake, we probably ought to get up as well," he said when they pulled back for air.

Sherlock moaned a complaint, but pushed John off him and sat up. "That's why we usually don't have guests sleep here," he muttered as he got up and put on his robe.

"It's for the case," John smiled, stretching lazily and tracking his own dressing robe to follow Sherlock out of the room.

Sherlock scratched his head and yawned. He nodded to Ianto as he passed the kitchen and headed straight for the bathroom.  
Ianto smiled and called "Good morning" after him before turning to John with a small grin.

"Morning," John said, suppressing a yawn. "Coffee smells good."

Ianto smiled and held out a cup to him. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Very well," John answered, taking the coffee with a small smile in the direction of the bathroom. "You too? Is Jack still asleep?"

Ianto nodded. "I expect so. At least he was when I got up."

"Ah, but not anymore," John smiled as he heard footsteps on the stairs, and a moment later Jack came in, already fully dressed. He pulled up his eyebrows at the smell of the coffee and the sight of the breakfast table being ready, recognizing Ianto's hand in it.

"Good morning," John said.

Jack scowled and sank down on one of the chairs around the table. "Not so sure about that."

Ianto sat down and passed Jack a cup of coffee. "Good morning," he said, smiling.

"Hm," Jack said, taking the coffee and sniffing it. "Good thing you've got better coffee equipment at the Hub," he mumbled, before sipping it.

"I do my best with what I've got," Ianto said and winked at John.

John chuckled. "A right ray of sunshine in the mornings, is he?"

"You should see him with two hours of sleep after an all night weevil roundup." Ianto chuckled and offered Jack a plate of bacon, eggs and toast.

"Thanks," Jack said, attacking the plate.

"Smells good," John smiled, sitting down next to Jack.

Sherlock came in, towelling his hair into a quite spectacular cloud of damp curls. "Good morning," he said brightly, picked up a cup of coffee and went over to examine the wall.  
Ianto passed John a plate, put Sherlock's by the empty chair and began eating, glancing at Jack every now and then.

"Sherlock, you should come eat now it's warm, Ianto's obviously done his best," John said, smiling.

"Yes," Sherlock said, absentmindedly turning a piece of paper over in his hand. "Thank you."

John chuckled. "Don't take it personally," he said to Ianto. "He almost always forgets to eat during a case."

Ianto smiled. "Yes, I remember." He looked over at Jack. "Good thing you don't lose your appetite when you're working, right?"

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "Neither do you, that much is clear."

Ianto frowned for a moment, looking almost offended. Then he smiled and glanced at John.

John hid his smirk and focused on his plate.

Once they had finished their breakfast, John started clearing the table. "You're free to use the shower if you want," he told Jack and Ianto, nodding in the direction of the bathroom.

"Thank you, John, that would be lovely," Ianto said. He caught Jack's eye and smiled, as he raised one eyebrow slightly. Then he got up and headed for the bathroom.

Jack frowned and got up too. Both John and Sherlock were standing with their backs towards him, looking at the information on the wall, so they didn't see him follow and close the bathroom door behind him.

Ianto was already undressing with his back to the door. He smiled, but pretended he hadn't heard Jack join him.

Jack cleared his throat. "Shame I already got dressed. We could have saved some water."

Ianto turned to him. "Yes. That really is a shame." He stepped closer to Jack as he continued unbuttoning his shirt. "Water is such a precious commodity. It really shouldn't be wasted."

Jack smirked slowly. "I'd better get undressed then. You might feel uncomfortable if I'm sitting here, fully dressed, watching how you take a shower."

"Indeed," Ianto said, shrugging off his shirt.

Jack grinned and quickly undressed himself, not even trying to hide his eagerness.

Once in the shower, Ianto turned to Jack and pulled him into a hard, hungry kiss.

Jack answered the kiss and greedily pulled him against his body, his hands sliding to Ianto's arse. Ianto pressed himself against Jack for a moment, and then pulled back, just enough to get a hand between them so he could stroke Jack's cock.

Jack groaned and kissed him again, rutting against him while he lowered his hand to press a finger between Ianto's arse cheeks.

Ianto's hand moved a bit faster as he pressed back against Jack's finger.

"I want you, Ianto," Jack mumbled against his lips, moving his finger.

"Then take me, Jack," Ianto answered, before sucking on Jack's lower lip.

Jack moaned and pulled back, gently turning Ianto around and lining up behind him, pressing kisses to the side of his neck.

Ianto braced himself against the wall and closed his eyes, tilting his head to the side to give Jack more room.

"Fuck," Jack hissed as he pushed in, laying an arm around Ianto's stomach to hold him close.

Ianto groaned and leaned back into Jack's embrace.

Jack started thrusting slowly, his breath heavy against Ianto's skin. Ianto moved one hand to rest over Jack's arm and turned his head so he could kiss him.

Answering the kiss, Jack quickened his pace and lowered his other hand to stroke Ianto's cock. Ianto moved his hips to meet Jack's thrusts and panted, still trying to keep his lips on Jack's, though he was quickly losing control.

It wasn't long before Jack came with a stifled moan, resting his forehead on Ianto's shoulder while he kept stroking him.

"Fuck..." Ianto gasped as he came, thrusting hard into Jack's hand.

Jack pulled out and turned him around for a hug. "We should wash and get to work," he smiled.

Ianto nodded and kissed him. "In a moment," he muttered.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"God, this is boring," John said, staring at the line on the screen that refused to change one bit. "And here I thought working for Torchwood was exciting."

He and Ianto were looking at the screen, while Jack and Sherlock were waiting for their word in the car, but so far, it seemed that the vandal would be later than Sherlock had predicted. That, or he wasn't an alien after all.

Ianto laughed. "Usually it's either like this or so hectic that there's hardly time to breathe. It's either one or the other."

"Or the times in between when really _nothing_ happens and we can do some team building," Jack's voice sounded from the speakers, a smirk clear in his voice.

Ianto blushed and smiled at John. "Yes, Captain."

"Yeah, Sherlock and I already had the impression that you felt quite at home earlier," John smirked.

Ianto smiled and looked down. "Were we too noisy?"

"Doesn't matter if it builds the team," John grinned.

Ianto snorted. "That's one way of putting it."

"It certainly works," Jack chuckled.

John laughed. "Sherlock, you okay there? You're alarmingly quiet."

"I'm fine," Sherlock answered. "At the moment I'm just focused on other things than the noise level of the teambuilding exercises."

John giggled. "Still nothing on the screen though."

As if on cue, the alarm sounded and a lot of numbers and diagrams flashed across the screen. Ianto suddenly got very busy. "It's happening in Brent," he said. "I'll try to narrow it down."  
Sherlock thought for a moment and then gave the driver detailed instructions of the best route to follow. "That's not far," he told Jack. "We may get lucky."

As soon as the car stopped in the spot Ianto had directed them to, Jack jumped out and ran towards the tall building that was covered by thick clouds of dust. "Damn, looks like we're too late!" he shouted back at Sherlock.

Sherlock was right behind him. "But we're still closer than we've ever been," he said. "Try and find someone who's seen anything. I'll have a look at the hole."

Jack nodded and walked off to the people who were coming out of the buildings neighbouring the attacked one and were looking either disturbed or shocked.

Sherlock got to work, but soon concluded that there was nothing new to learn. The stones had been loosened in exactly the same way. Whether one was missing could only be determined by an attempt to reconstruct the destroyed part of the wall, which meant moving all the stones to the warehouse. He got his phone out and texted Mycroft to send some people to collect the debris. Then he went over to join Jack.

"No, I didn't see anything. We were having a meeting and I sat with my back to the window - there just was this loud bang and a lot of dust, but we didn't see anyone run away or anything," a tiny man in a too large suit explained to Jack.

"Thank you," Jack said, turning to someone else, but then he noticed Sherlock. "No one's seen the vandal," he said with a shrug. "Either they weren't looking at the exact moment it happened or there was too much dust. It's the same story over and over again."

"That in itself is rather unusual," Sherlock remarked as he looked around.

"I know. At least we are now sure that the events are linked with alien activity," Jack answered.

Sherlock nodded and then pointed. "And this place is covered by at least three CCTV cameras, so if they have not picked up anything, we also know the perpetrator has some way of interfering with the system. Which will not please Mycroft."

Jack smirked. "We can't always please him, can we?"

"I hope not," Sherlock answered, chuckling.  
Mycroft's men arrived and Sherlock put them to work.

...

"Yay, more stones," John said sarcastically when Sherlock and Jack arrived in the warehouse after Mycroft's men. "Any new signs of the vandal?"

Sherlock just shook his head and got to work.  
Ianto raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Is he getting a little frustrated?" he whispered to John.

John chuckled and smiled fondly in Sherlock's direction. "He loves mysteries like this. But yeah, probably it is getting a little frustrating by now."

"We better go and help him then," Ianto said, giving John's shoulder a friendly rub.

John smiled and patted his back in return as they walked towards Sherlock and started lifting the heavy stones.

Once the new piece of wall was assembled, Sherlock examined the hole where a stone was missing.  
"I need moulding gypsum," he said. "Lots of it."

"Ianto and I will get some," John said.

Sherlock smiled at him. "Thanks." He got out his notebook and began scribbling while circling the stone puzzles.

"Need some help?" Jack asked Ianto.

John smirked. "We're big boys, Jack, we'll manage. Come, Ianto."

Ianto quickly turned away to hide his grin. "Let's go," he muttered to John.

...

Sherlock sat on the floor of 221B, examining the plaster copies of the missing stones. "They are all of different shapes and sizes," he muttered. "But they must have something in common, besides coming from the same quarry... Why these particular stones out of all those making up those buildings? Why these particular buildings?" He picked up two of the stones and studied them intently.

"And why must they be so bloody _heavy_?" John mumbled, trying to stretch his shoulder in a way that would finally stop the dull ache.

"Let me," Ianto said, and moved to stand behind John. He put his hands on his shoulders and began massaging gently, searching out the knots and tensions.

John slowly relaxed under his hands. "Oh god, you're good at this."

Jack looked up and pulled up his eyebrows. "That's not all he's good at," he commented, before looking at the laptop again, a tense line around his mouth.

"No," Ianto agreed. "I also give a pretty good foot rub, but we'll save that for another day."

"Already looking forward," John chuckled.

Jack rolled his eyes.

Ianto continued working on John's shoulders, his movements becoming more slow and casual as he felt the muscles ease.  
Sherlock smiled up at them. "Don't get too used to it," he teased John.

John grinned back. "Oh, your hands aren't so bad either, like you know well enough."

"Maybe Sherlock should prove his worth on _my_ shoulders then," Jack suggested.

"Maybe Sherlock is working," the detective retorted, not looking up.

John chuckled. "Bad luck, Jack."

"Then give me something to do as well," Jack said, tapping his fingers on the table.

Sherlock considered for a moment. "It seems all the cameras at every location momentarily malfunctioned and panned away from what was happening. Can you look into who or what might do that?"

"Yes, at least it feels more useful than watching someone _else_ getting a shoulder rub," Jack said with a sigh.

Ianto smiled and closed his eyes as he continued with John's shoulders, though it couldn't really be considered massaging anymore.

"It's alright, we shouldn't make him too crazy," John smiled softly. "It did help though, thanks."

Ianto nodded. "You're probably right," he whispered. He got to his feet and spoke up. "Anybody want some tea? Coffee?"  
Sherlock shook his head.

"Tea would be nice," John smiled.

"Yes, tea, please," Jack said absently.

Ten minutes later, Ianto returned with two cups of tea. He put them on the table and then sat down next to Jack to see what he was working on.

Jack sipped gratefully from his tea and frowned at the screen.

"Any luck?" Ianto asked, placing one hand gently on Jack's shoulder.

"Not really," he sighed. "There are some devices that switch off cameras, like the one we have at the Hub, but according to the reports Sherlock got, the effect was a little different here."

Ianto nodded. "It didn't interfere with the signal, but turned the cameras away. That must be some pretty powerful technology."

"It sounds like we're dealing with a dangerous criminal," John said. "Technology to easily break away stones, to make the cameras malfunction..."

Sherlock looked up. "Yet they're not trying to break in. They're collecting stones."

"But for what purpose? Who knows what's going on in an alien mind," John said, shaking his head.

"It could be completely innocent. Really like a collection," Jack answered. "It doesn't have to be the most horrible cause."

"Or maybe it's just a prank," Ianto added with a shrug.  
"Yes, thank you all," Sherlock snapped. "Very helpful."

Jack gave him a look. "We actually _were_ trying to help by sharing ideas. Maybe you shouldn't throw all of your frustration at us."

Sherlock stood up suddenly. "I'm going to bed," he said.

John's eyes shifted quickly from Sherlock to Jack. "He didn't mean it like that," he said, before emptying his tea and getting up. "I'd better go see if he's alright. Goodnight."

Ianto rubbed Jack's shoulder gently. "Maybe we should be heading upstairs," he suggested.

"Great idea. After all you owe me a proper massage," Jack smirked.

...

"Hey, you okay?" John asked Sherlock as he entered their bedroom.

Sherlock pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and groaned. "Sixty-four hours... Sixty-four hours before it happens again. And there is nothing... Nothing to indicate where, why or how..." He threw himself down on the bed, sulking.

John toed off his shoes and lay down next to him, taking his hand. "I'm sure you will find something, eventually. You always do. Shall I make an attempt to turn off that big brain of yours for a moment?"

Sherlock glanced at him and smiled. "You are very welcome to try."

John smiled back and kissed his neck. "Clothes off, then," he said, getting up again and efficiently undressing himself.

Sherlock pretended to sulk as he managed to get his own clothes off without getting up.

John settled on top of him and smirked, brushing his nose against Sherlock's before he kissed him gently.

Sherlock hummed contentedly as he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around John.

John took his time, lazily stroking Sherlock's shoulders and trying to relax his lover.

"This is nice..." Sherlock muttered, between kisses.

"Bit more than nice," John smiled against his lips, before starting to kiss down his throat.

Sherlock was sliding his fingers down the crack of John's arse when suddenly his phone buzzed. He groaned. "Can we ignore it?"

John sighed and reached for the phone on the nightstand. "It's your brother," he said with a tired expression. "Better take it. Perhaps he's got a clue for you to work with."

"You mean better answer it or he'll show up here?" Sherlock complained as he gently pushed John off him and picked up the phone.  
"What?" he barked, in way of greeting.

John watched Sherlock's face turn thunderous and took his phone-free hand. "Just put it down if he doesn't have anything to say," he whispered.

Sherlock gave John's hand a quick squeeze, before letting go, in order to grab the sheet and wrap it loosely around his waist as he got up and stalked into the sitting room.  
"I told you, Mycroft. I'll let you know as soon as there are any new developments... Yes, I know Portland Stone is used in several important government buildings. Keep an eye on them or something. There's nothing I can do..."

John draped his robe over himself and followed Sherlock.

Sherlock walked over to the windows as the conversation turned from argument to abuse. When even he could sense that they were regressing to a rather childish level, he called Mycroft a pompous prat and ended the call. He turned to John with a dramatic sigh. "He wants 'results'," he whined.

John frowned and stepped closer. "He'd better give you something to go on then. Even you can't just produce clues out of thin air."

Sherlock smiled at him. "And I refuse to guess."

John grinned and pulled him into a hug. "Let's go back to bed and forget Mycroft."

"I can't," Sherlock said. "Mycroft did actually have a reason for calling, that wasn't just nagging. It seems that the stones from the first site... the ones that had been disposed of... have finally been tracked down. But they are mixed in with a lot of other stones and bricks. I have to go supervise the sorting, so we know for sure we have the right stones. And all of them."

John pulled a face. "He's really hell at timing. Do you want me to come?"

Sherlock smiled and kissed him. "No. You should get some sleep." He headed for the bedroom to get dressed.

John sighed, but decided that Sherlock was right. "Are you sure you don't mind going alone? I'm sure Jack would accompany you if you asked him."

Sherlock cocked his head for a moment, listening. "Jack is busy," he said. "I'll be fine. It's neither dangerous nor difficult. Just tedious."

John smiled and reached up for another kiss. "Alright then. Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight." Sherlock put on his scarf and was out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next day passed uneventfully. Most of the time, Sherlock was on the floor, encircled by the stone copies. The others had taken a look at the stone that had been missing, but there still wasn't much for them to do. Finally Jack couldn't take it anymore and announced he was getting some fresh air. After flustering a couple of attractive people at the local pub, he returned to the flat, to find that Sherlock was the only one there.

"Where are John and Ianto?" he asked as he came in and hung up his coat next to Sherlock's. If there would finally be some activity, he would only be glad to go out again and help them.

"They've gone out," Sherlock answered. He was holding two of the plaster stones up in front of him, slowly bringing them closer together.

"Where? Did anything happen?" Jack asked.

"No. I think they needed some air too." When the stones touched, Sherlock let out a shaky breath. Then he put them down, jumped up and started pacing.

"Ah. No news then?" Jack waved at the stones.

"Not exactly news," Sherlock said, stopping at the window to look out. "I may have an idea."

"Ah, that's great," Jack smiled, stepping away from the door.

Sherlock nodded. Then he turned abruptly and went back to the stones, and crouched down, intently looking at them.

"What did you see?"

Sherlock just shrugged.

Jack sat down next to him and pulled up an eyebrow at the stones.

Sherlock put the two stones together. Then he examined the others, eventually choosing one. He tried a couple of options and then placed it so it fitted almost seamlessly with the first two.

Jack watched him work for a while, then something started to bother him. "Have Ianto and John been out for long?"

Sherlock nodded. "Left right after you did."

Jack frowned. "That was hours ago."

"It was?" Sherlock asked, not really paying attention to the conversation.

"Yes. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Should it?" Sherlock picked up a fourth stone, examining it carefully.

"I don't know," Jack said. "What if something... happened?"

Sherlock laughed. "What should happen? Alien abduction? They're not made of stone, you know." He put the stone down and took another.

"Yes, I know. That's more or less what I'm hinting at. Did they say anything when they left?"

"Something about 'getting acquainted', I think," Sherlock shrugged.

Jack breathed in sharply.

"You could try calling them," Sherlock suggested.

Jack considered it for a moment and then sighed. "No, that's a bit... I shouldn't get so worried."

Sherlock shrugged and tried fitting the stone with the other three.

Jack got up. "I'll just get some fresh clothes and take a shower to pass the time."

"Don't bother," Sherlock said.

"Why not?" Jack asked.

"Heater broke. No hot water." Sherlock let out an exasperated groan and gave up on the stone, picking up a new one.

"Ah." Jack frowned. "I'll just get changed then."

"Why? You look fine," Sherlock said. "Planning on going out again?" He raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

"Maybe, or perhaps I just want to look good for those around me," Jack smirked. "But actually I just smell of the pub. Shame about the shower, but a change of clothes will have to do."

Sherlock chuckled. "I don't mind, and as I said, you look fine to me."

"Thanks, but it's uncomfortable," Jack smiled, heading for the stairs.

"Could you give me a hand here first?" Sherlock called after him.

Jack turned around. "Ah, you finally got a job for me?"

Sherlock gestured at the three stones he had fitted together. "Can you help me move those to the table? And make sure to place them just like this."

"Too heavy for you?" Jack smirked, but he quickly moved the plaster shapes.

"Yes," Sherlock said, picking up the other four stones and putting them in a line on the other end of the table.

"You're a strange one, sometimes, Sherlock," Jack said, patting his shoulder as he returned to the stairs.

"What do you think it means?" Sherlock asked.

"No idea, you're the genius." Jack left the room.

Sherlock chuckled and got back to work.

When Jack came back, redressed, there was still no sign of the other two men. He looked at the teapot in the kitchen and bit his lip.

"Feel free to make some tea if you want," Sherlock commented, as he stood back to examine a possible fit between two of the stones.

"Do you think I _should_ call them?" Jack asked.

"I don't think you have to worry about them. But if it will make you feel better, you probably should."

Before Jack could take his phone, the door opened and John and Ianto came in, laughing.

"How were the biscuits?" Sherlock asked. "Had she used too much sugar or not?"

"They were delicious," John smiled, "and yes, I brought you some." He lifted a small paper bag and went to put it in the kitchen.

"Who is _she_?" Jack asked, confused.

Sherlock got up and followed John.  
"Mrs. Hudson, of course," Ianto said. "She invited us down to test a new recipe she got from Mrs. Turner."

"Next door, the one with the married ones," John added, smirking, before he turned to Sherlock.

"So Sherlock knew where you were all the time?" Jack asked, looking annoyed.

Ianto shrugged. "Of course. Want a biscuit?"  
Sherlock pulled John into a hug and kissed him while his shoulders shook with silent laughter.

John grinned up at him. "Had some fun with Jack, love?"

"Not at all, love," Sherlock answered, almost not smiling. "I was just working. And trying to answer his questions without getting too distracted."

John chuckled and kissed him again.

...

"Okay," Ianto said, looking at his watch. "We have 45 minutes before we need to get ready for the next incident, so if anyone wants something to eat or a change of clothes, now would probably be a good time."  
Sherlock took John's hand and tugged on it. "Bedroom," he whispered in his ear.

John smiled and followed. Once in the bedroom, he kissed Sherlock deeply and hummed.

"Finally," Sherlock muttered as he pulled John's shirt up so he could get his hands under it. "I thought I'd never get you to myself."

"Yes, our visitors understand privacy almost as well as you do, and then Mycroft's constant meddling..." John pulled a face. "But now I'm all yours to do as you like." He grinned and pushed Sherlock towards the bed.

"And I know just what I'd like to do to you," Sherlock said, quickly opening John's trousers before letting himself fall down on the bed, pulling him along.

"Hmm, I'm up for anything, like you can see," John chuckled before kissing him again.

Sherlock grinned and pushed John onto his back. He knelt beside him and pulled his trousers and pants off, before starting on his own.

John smirked up at him and pulled him in for another kiss, but then someone started banging loudly on the bedroom door.

"Hurry! Ianto's registering the activity, we're running late and the alien is early," Jack's voice sounded, and he pushed the door handle down to come in.

"Wait, don't come in!" John called quickly. "We'll be there in a second." Hurriedly, he sat up and almost rolled off the bed as he picked up his pants.

Sherlock groaned as he buttoned his trousers. "I'm going to kill that alien when we find it."

"Yeah, and I'll help," John mumbled, pulling up his trousers and getting his gun.

...

As was expected, they were once again too late to catch the vandal.

"I'm getting sick of this," Sherlock said as he watched Mycroft's team gather the scattered stones. "It's the same over and over. No witnesses, no footage. Absolutely nothing to go on."

John took his hand and sighed. "At least it's one stone more. Hopefully that can tell you something."

Sherlock huffed. "Sure. But first we have to recreate it, so it's off to the warehouse for more puzzle solving." He glanced over at Jack and Ianto, who were interviewing so-called witnesses who had not heard or seen a thing. "Or maybe we could let them get started while we take care of other urgent business."

"That would be nice," John smiled.

Jack returned to them, shaking his head. "Nothing, just like last time."

"As could be expected," Sherlock said. "Could you two go along with the stones and get started? John and I have some clues we need to follow up on."

Jack pulled up an eyebrow and smirked. "Sure."

Sherlock grinned as he took John's hand and led him away. "Home?" he asked.

"I'm not sure I can wait that long," John purred. "There should be a quiet alleyway somewhere in a neighbourhood like this..."

Sherlock grinned. "I'm sure there is," he said, and quickly looked around. He spotted what they needed and hauled John off.  
Ianto watched them leave and walked over to Jack. "Where are they off to?" he asked.

"Looking for clues," Jack grinned with a wink.

...

As soon as they were far enough down the alley to be obscured by shadows, Sherlock pushed John up against the wall and crushed their lips together as he, once again, got to work on opening John's trousers. John groaned and groped Sherlock's arse, pulling him even closer.

Sherlock had just gotten his hand down John's pants and was about to press a finger into him, when someone tapped him on the shoulder.  
"Excuse me," a voice said behind him. "Might I trouble you two for a moment?"

John stared in shock at the man behind Sherlock. He was wearing an old-fashioned suit and a red bow tie, and was smiling like he couldn't see they were _busy_. Where did he suddenly come from anyway?

"Uhm, no?" John tried.

"It will really only take a moment," the man said, running a hand through his hair.  
"Then ask," Sherlock snapped, as he tried to figure out if there was any way he could get his hand out of John's pants without calling undue attention to it.  
"Right..." the man studied them for a moment. "Oh..." he said. "Am I interrupting...?"

John rolled his eyes. "Good observation." He gently pushed Sherlock a little off. "What do you need from us?"

"Oh... Yeah... Right..." The man shuffled his feet a little. "It's really not that important."  
Sherlock groaned. "It obviously was important enough to come over here and bother us in the first place." He managed to get his hand free, but kept it resting on John's back.  
"Yes..." The stranger blushed. "It's just... Do you happen to know where I might find a... measuring tape?"

"A... what the hell?" John said.

Sherlock huffed. "Have you tried Tesco's? There's one just down the street."  
The man looked surprised at the answer. "Yes... Right... Of course..." He turned and began to walk away, but then suddenly hurried back to them. "Thank you," he said, hesitated a moment and then left in a hurry.

John looked up at Sherlock with an incredulous expression. "Seriously, what was that?"

Sherlock shook his head as he looked in the direction the stranger had disappeared. "I have no idea." Then he turned to John. "But he kind of ruined the mood, didn't he?"

"Yeah." John sighed sadly. "We should probably go help the others with the stones."

Sherlock nodded as he helped John straighten his clothes.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Twelve hours later, Sherlock let out a cry of triumph, startling the others who had been more or less asleep around him.

"Wuh?" John asked, quite accurately expressing what was on all of their minds.

"Look at this," Sherlock said, gesturing at the stones on the table. They had been placed together to form a square. It would be perfect, if it weren't for the fact that three pieces of differing size were missing.  
"Uhm... interesting..." Ianto said hesitantly.

John rubbed his eyes and blinked at it.

"So there's an alien collecting stones that form a square. What do you make of that?" Jack asked.

Sherlock laughed. "No idea, but it is very very helpful."

"Glad to hear that," John said, looking a bit puzzled.

Sherlock looked around at them all, frowning. "Can't you see it?" he asked.

"It's a square. All we have to do is find the few stones that still fit in to make it complete. Somewhere in all the buildings of London. Yeah, should be easy," Jack said sarcastically.

"Yes," Sherlock said, shaking his head. "We now know the shape and size of the stones that will be taken. Narrows the possibilities down quite considerably I should think. Especially this one." He pointed to the smallest hole. "Can't be many buildings made with stones like that."

"Okay, fantastic," John said. "Are we allowed some sleep before we start looking for them?"

"Oh John," Sherlock said, chuckling. "We're going to be pressed for time as it is. We're talking ridiculously advanced research here. So..." He looked around at them all. "Jack... None of the remaining stones are very large, so you need to start looking at the size of Portland stone used on buildings in London. Look at specifications, pictures, anything you can find. Divide the buildings into three groups: those we can rule out, those that fit and those where you can't get the information online. John, you'll be taking those that fit and compare them to the three missing pieces, see if you can find perfect matches. As soon as the sun comes up I'll be heading out to look at the buildings from the third group. And Ianto...? We're going to need lots and lots of coffee."

With some complaining mumbling, they all got to work.

...

With five hours to go before the next expected incident, they had narrowed it down to seven possible targets. Only Sherlock had managed to stay awake for the entire time, while the others had been taking turns at distracting him enough for one of them to sneak off for a nap.  
Sherlock was examining the seven pages describing the buildings likely to be hit, when he passed out.

"Sherlock?" John sighed. "Okay, this was to be expected. Jack, can you help me put him to bed?"

Jack nodded and together they lifted Sherlock.

"We should all get some rest now we still have the time," John suggested. "I _told_ you to sleep." He turned towards Sherlock, who was regaining consciousness on the bed.

"We... have to plan..." Sherlock muttered.

"We've made our plans," John said. "It'll be fine, just sleep. I'll set our alarms, but we can't have you keel over once it's time." He settled on the bed next to Sherlock and Jack left, closing the door behind him.

"Is he alright?" Ianto whispered. "Is something wrong?"

"He just didn't sleep," Jack said, putting a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "He'll be fine. We'd better take advantage and take a nap as well, before the action starts."

Ianto nodded. "Yes." He reached up and took Jack's hand in his. "I've missed sleeping in your arms," he admitted as he led him up the stairs.

Jack smirked. "Only sleeping?"

"I may have missed other things," Ianto said, chuckling. "But for now, we're going up to sleep. Nothing else."

"Alright then," Jack said, showing an exaggerated pout.

"Okay," Ianto giggled as he kissed Jack's lower lip. "We can have a quick snog."

Jack grinned triumphantly. "You know you're not able to stop there."

Ianto cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe you're right. Better skip the snog then." He shrugged off his jacket and lay down on top of the covers. "Can you set the alarm?" he asked.

"Yes, but I want my snog," Jack protested.

"And I want my nap," Ianto said, turning over on his side, his back to Jack.

"Please?" Jack tried, shifting closer to spoon Ianto.

"Sleep, Jack," Ianto said, trying to hide his grin.

Jack kissed his neck. "Just one kiss. You know you can't resist me."

Ianto turned his head, gave Jack a quick kiss and then turned away again.

"Thank you," Jack chuckled, laying an arm around Ianto and closing his eyes.

Ianto dozed off with a happy little smile on his lips.

...

John grunted when the alarm started and kept himself from hiding his head under the pillow. Instead, he sat up and stopped it, before turning to Sherlock.

Sherlock was instantly wide awake. "Is it time?" he asked.

John nodded and smiled down at him. "I set it a little earlier so you still have time to eat something. And that's not a question, you_are_ eating something."

Sherlock groaned. "Nooo... Digesting is such a distraction..."

"So is fainting," John said, getting up.

"I'm not going to faint. I was just... sleepy," Sherlock protested as he got to his feet. He twirled around and held out his arms. "See? I'm fine."

"Still eating," John smiled, stepping into his shoes.

Sherlock pouted as he went in search of the papers he had been working on when he fell asleep.

John went to the kitchen and started making him a sandwich.

"Could you make some tea while you're in there?" Sherlock called as he settled at the table, the seven papers in front of him.

"Sure," John said, putting the kettle on. "I guess Jack and Ianto will be here too in a minute."

"Or now," Ianto said brightly, as he came through the door and immediately went to help John in the kitchen.

John smiled and soon Sherlock's papers on the table were surrounded by cups of tea and plates with sandwiches.

Jack sat down next to Sherlock and started eating.

"Okay," Sherlock said, pushing his half-eaten sandwich aside. "I have chosen the four buildings that are most likely to be targeted. We will guard one each and summon the others when something happens. If it is possible to detain those responsible, do so. But our main objective today is observation and, if possible, identification."

Jack nodded. "Where do we need to go?"

Sherlock handed out the papers. "You should be there in 30 minutes, as there clearly is a certain window rather than a specific moment for these... attacks."

"Yeah, we noticed last time," John sighed.

"Okay, let's go. Ianto, we can share a cab," Jack said.

"Don't get sidetracked," Sherlock called after them.

"Good luck," John said, giving Sherlock a quick kiss while he shrugged on his jacket and checked if he had his gun with him.

"Luck has got nothing to do with it," Sherlock called after him. "Be careful."

...

John was pacing along the front of 'his' building. It was a normal house, where people actually lived, and he felt incredibly awkward standing there staring. The occupants probably thought he was some kind of creepy stalker and Sherlock would be incredibly disappointed if he were taken away by the police before anything could happen, so he was trying to act normal, although 'normal' never included gazing at a building, waiting until an alien would come to destroy part of it.

"Excuse me?" an out-of-breath voice said behind him. "Could you... tell me... the time?"

John turned and frowned. "_You_again?"

The man mimicked his frown. "Ehm... Right... Yes... " Then he shook his head and shifted nervously. "The time...? Please?" he asked, raising his almost nonexistent eyebrows.

John glanced at his watch. "12:38," he answered.

"Oh dear," the man said. Then he glanced over John's shoulder. "What on earth is that?" he shrieked, his face contorted in horror.

John looked around. "What? I don't see..."

The man made a grab for an item in his pocket and rushed towards the house. The device let out a strange hum as he pointed it at a section of the wall, that immediately began falling apart.

John could just hit himself. Had he really fallen for the oldest trick in the book? "Oy! Stop that immediately!" he called out, running towards the strange man.

The man was already at the pile of stones, batting his hands frantically at the dust slowly settling.

"Stay where you are," John said, taking out his gun.

The stranger looked up. When he saw the gun he immediately raised his hands, looking slightly alarmed. "Is that really necessary?" he asked.

"I don't know," John answered. "Is it really necessary to destroy half the buildings in London?"

"Oh dear. I hope not."

John pulled up his eyebrows. "Why are you doing this?"

"Oh. That's quite simple," he answered. "I need the stones."

"We're on our way," Jack said in John's earpiece. "Keep him busy."

"What for?" John asked the man, his gun still pointed at him.

His smile faltered. "Right... Not so simple..." He considered for a moment. "I need them so I can find a woman."

"Sure," John nodded. "What did you have in mind, build a house out of Portland stone and the women will queue to come live with you?"

"Not _women_," the man said, smiling. "_A_ woman." He glanced down. "Ah, there it is." He looked at John, his hands still up. "Do you mind? I can show you..." Then he got distracted by the sound of a quickly approaching vehicle.  
The moment the cab stopped, Ianto jumped out and rushed to John's side. "Is it him?" he asked incredulously. "The one who's been knocking holes in all those buildings?"  
"Not 'knocking'," the man said exasperatedly. "Sonicing."

"Yes, it's him," John nodded. "Show us," he demanded, giving the man a nod.

The man bent down and picked up a stone, holding it up to show them the letter 'H' carved into the side of it. "See?" he said.  
"John?" Sherlock called as he rounded the corner at a sprint. "Did you get them?"

"He's here," John nodded, never taking his eyes off the man, in case he would make a wrong move. "What does that 'H' mean?" he asked the man.

"Well," the man turned as if trying to look them all in the eyes as he spoke, "it is the eighth letter of the ISO basic Latin alphabet and can represent two different sounds, namely the voiceless glottal fricative as well as the voiceless epiglottal..."  
"No," Sherlock interrupted, a little out of breath. "Not what the letter means, but what the meaning is of the letter being on this stone."  
"Oh..." The stranger smiled. "_She_ put it there, obviously..."

Another car stopped and Jack almost flew out of it, looking excited. "God, it's him! I saw the box, he's here!"

"What box?" Sherlock asked.  
Ianto tensed. "Him? Here? Are you sure?"  
The stranger looked up and smiled at Jack. "Hello there," he said.

Jack frowned. "Hello. Who are you? Where's the Doctor? I saw the Tardis, so I know he must be around."

The man took Jack by the shoulders and pulled him closer pressing a wet kiss to his cheek. "It's so good to see you, Jack" he said. "How have you been?"

"But..." Jack stammered, staring at the man.

"You two know each other?" John asked, confused, while lowering his gun.

"He... He's the Doctor," Ianto muttered, turning quite pale as he stared at the two men.

John looked at Sherlock in confusion.

"Doctor," Jack said quietly, and then he pulled the man into a crushing hug.

"Yes... Well... Umph..." The Doctor tried to return the hug, but his arms were more or less pinned to his sides.  
Ianto stared in wonder and Sherlock looked from one to the other, trying to catch up.

Eventually, Jack pulled back with a grin that almost split his face. "What brought you here?" he asked the Doctor.

"River," he answered then laughed. "Oh, right. You two haven't met yet." He looked around. "Who are your friends?"

"This is Ianto Jones. He also works for Torchwood. Sherlock Holmes, the only consulting detective in the world, and Captain John Watson," Jack introduced them, waving at each of his friends in turn.

"We sort of... met," John said, blushing.

The Doctor cocked his head and studied him for a moment, frowning. Then he brightened and looked from John to Sherlock and back again. "Right. You two were..." He covered his mouth and giggled.  
Ianto frowned and looked at John as Sherlock cleared his throat and stepped forward offering his hand.

John performed an intent study of his shoes, while Jack was just beaming at the Doctor.

The Doctor shook Sherlock's hand eagerly, a strange gleam in his eyes. Then he turned to Ianto. "Oh dear boy," he said. "I've heard all about you of course." He pulled the flustered Welshman in for a hug.

Jack chuckled. "Can we help you, Doctor?"

The Doctor let go of Ianto. "Oh, thank you Jack, but I'm doing just splendid. If this fellow here would just refrain from pointing weapons at me, that is." He glared at John for a second before smiling again. He held up the stone. "I got another one. See?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, but what are they for?"

John put his gun away. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"As I've already explained to this young man, John was it? I need the stones to get a woman."  
"A woman?" Sherlock frowned. "What woman?"

"River." The Doctor looked around at all of them and then sighed. "Right," he said. "You don't know."  
He considered for a moment."This is probably not the best place to chat, since it will be swarming with policemen and other officials within a few minutes. Good thing I made sure the people living here weren't home, or they'd already have seen us. So what say you we move the briefing to my ship... Well... I say ship... It's more like a... box."

Jack grinned. "Sure."  
"This way, please." The Doctor indicated for them to follow and then walked down the road at a brisk pace.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Who exactly is this man?" Sherlock asked in an undertone to Jack. "Or would it be more correct to ask _what_ exactly this man is?"

"He's... well, the Doctor," Jack shrugged, smiling. "An alien and an old friend, who now and then saves the earth, and travels through time and space. He doesn't look the same as the last time I saw him though..." He gave the Doctor a long lingering look.

John stared at the blue phone box they were heading for. "That's your _ship_?" he asked, pulling up his eyebrows, barely able to hide his amusement.

"Jack told me about this," Ianto muttered. "It's... bigger than it looks...?"  
The Doctor beamed at Sherlock as he walked around the police box, but his grin faltered somewhat when the detective remarked: "A nearly precise replica of a 1960s British police box. Almost convincing."  
"Almost?" The Doctor huffed as he got out his key. "Don't let her hear you talking like that."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, she's always been a bit sensitive, hmm?" He patted the side of the box.

"Yes, very sensitive," the Doctor said as he took Jack's wrist and gently pulled his hand away. "She's still not that comfortable with you. You're... not right." He looked intently at Jack for a moment, then walked over to Ianto who was reading the sign next to the door. He put a hand on the young man's shoulder and smiled at him as he opened the door and led him inside as the first of the group.  
Ianto's knees almost buckled at the sight of the control room. "It's... It's beautiful," he muttered.  
Sherlock and John followed hand in hand.

"And a _lot_ bigger on the inside," John said, looking around.

"Hello again," Jack smirked, looking up.

Sherlock let go of John's hand and walked to the console, circling it slowly, taking in every detail.  
After studying their reactions happily for a few moments, the Doctor brought the stone over to a table by one of the walls. On it were eight stones of differing sizes, all carrying a letter. He put the stone down next to the others and the Tardis trembled.  
A hazy figure appeared by the console next to Sherlock, who jumped away, startled.  
It appeared to be a woman, but not much detail could be made out except her cocky enigmatic smile and rather spectacular head of hair.

"...eetie, i' 'at you again?" She sounded as if she were talking through a phone with a lot of interference and echo on the line.

"Who is that?" Ianto asked, glancing at Jack.  
"Everybody, meet River," the Doctor said, smiling broadly as he approached the figure. "Hello, Doctor Song," he said, speaking loudly and slowly. "I have the ninth stone now. It shouldn't be long before we have all of them."

"Glad to hear 't. And you go' 'ompany?" she smiled.

"Yes. I found Jack. I told you about Jack, didn't I? And some of his friends. Ianto, oh, he's such a lovely boy, you'll really like him. And John. Another doctor. And Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective. Frightfully fascinating chap, I believe."  
Sherlock stepped closer to the figure. "What is this?" he asked. "Some kind of hologram?"

"Looks like it," Jack said. "And a good looking one too."

"Wasted effort Jack," the Doctor said, chuckling. "She can't see you."

Jack gave him a smug smile. "Oh, so you think she'd like me if she could? Flattering. Thanks, Doctor."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh Jack, you're welcome to give it a try once I've gotten her out, but I think this one might be more than even you can handle."

"Challenge accepted," Jack answered with a grin.  
"Out?" Sherlock asked. "Out from where?"

"She's trapped," the Doctor said, and he frowned as the image flickered and vanished. "Has been for several centuries, it seems. In a pan-dimensional prison, anchored in eleven pieces of Portland stone." He approached the console and checked a small screen. "It cycles. This is the first time in over three hundred years that it touches our plane for long enough to attempt a rescue. But I need all eleven stones."

"And she just... sits there waiting?" John asked, a little confused. "How does she survive that long?"

Jack wrinkled his nose. "Never fun to be locked up in one place for such a long time."

"Oh, time doesn't work that way in there. She only really experiences its passage when she's communicating with me. So, for her, it's been," he glanced at his watch, "thirty-seven minutes."

"Ah. Fortunately," John said, frowning a little. "So now you have to wait for three more days to get the next stone?"

The Doctor chuckled. "No. Thirty minutes. Give or take." He pulled a lever and the whole room began to sway and shake as an eerie sound hummed around them.

"Ha, I've missed this!" Jack laughed.

John clung to Sherlock's arm. "What...?"

Ianto almost fell, but was caught deftly by the Doctor as he passed on his way to pump another lever twice. Then everything stopped moving and the sound faded.  
"Well," the Doctor said. "Here we are." He checked a display. "And almost on time, it seems." He patted the console. "Good girl."  
Sherlock, looking rather pale, took John's hand and squeezed it. "Did we just... Did we just travel through time?"  
The Doctor nodded. "Seventy-one hours into the future, to be precise. And a couple of miles south." He rushed to the door, opened it and stepped outside. Then he immediately jumped back in, as he was almost hit by a passing bicycle.

"If we could have done this in the past few days, it would have saved us a lot of boredom," Jack chuckled, patting Ianto's shoulder as he passed him to go out.

"But we're really... It's not a joke, right?" John asked, not letting go of Sherlock's hand.

Sherlock shook his head. "It... It shouldn't be possible..."  
Ianto shrugged and smiled at them, before following Jack.

"Well, apparently the proof's there," John said. "Let's follow them before they lock us up in this box."

Sherlock nodded and they walked to the door. When they had entered the box, the sky had been grey and looking like it would start raining soon. Now it was clear and blue. And instead of the posh residential neighbourhood where John had been watching a house, they were now on the edge of Hyde park.

"Come on, boys, or you'll miss the fun!" Jack called over his shoulder.

The Doctor was looking around, pointing the small handheld device from earlier at various buildings.  
"What is that thing?" Sherlock asked.  
The Doctor grinned proudly. "It's my screwdriver."

John raised his eyebrows. "Does a little more than screwing if the results on those buildings are anything to go by."

"Well, they _were_ screwed," Jack grinned.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ianto teased.  
The Doctor cleared his throat. "Yes, well, it's sonic. It's frightfully useful."

"And dangerous, apparently," John nodded.

"Not at all. No one has been hurt, have they?" His smile widened and he pointed at a large office building. "She's over there." He started running towards the building.

The others followed, Jack hurrying to the Doctor's side. "How do you know when it's the right time to do this?"

"You'll see," the Doctor said, as he moved the screwdriver over the stones, apparently scanning for something. "Ah, this one," he said and placed his hand on a stone. "Everybody step back," he advised, as he himself withdrew a couple of steps.

"Isn't there a, you know, less destructive way?" John asked.

The Doctor shook his head, grinning eagerly as he watched the stone. "Now..." he muttered and raised the screwdriver as the letter 'E' slowly formed on the surface of the stone. He pressed a button, there was a high pitched hum and a large patch of the wall shifted slightly. Then there was a loud crash as the stones tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Jack picked up the marked stone. "Is there a message in those letters?" he asked, studying it.

"Probably." the Doctor answered and glanced around. "Jack?" he said. "Remember what I always used to say."

Jack frowned at him. "You should realise that you always said a_lot_."

The Doctor grinned. "Yes, but the most important thing I ever taught you was to... Run!" He took off towards his Police Box at full speed, with Jack and Ianto on his heels.

John and Sherlock looked at each other and quickly followed them back into the blue box.

"Well, that explains why no one ever saw anything happen," John panted.

Sherlock grinned at John and gave him a quick kiss before joining the Doctor, who had brought the stone over to the table. Carefully he put it down next to the others.

Once again, the hologram appeared, and this time it was as if River was really standing in the Tardis, as opposed to her earlier grainy image. "Well done," she smiled, her voice sounding more clear. "Only one to go now and then we can finally get to the real work."

"Real work?" Sherlock asked eagerly.  
"Yes, yes," the Doctor said as he began preparing for the next jump. "She was working on something when she got herself trapped." He straightened up and smiled. "Now we just need the one from the Cenotaph and we're done."

John stared at him. "The Cenotaph? As in _The_ Cenotaph? You're going to make that fall apart?"

"No, no," River smiled. "He only needs one stone."

"He only needed one stone before. We've seen the results," John said.

River frowned. "What does he mean, Doctor?"

The Doctor squirmed a little. "Well..." he said. "I had to sonic the walls to get the stones out, right?"

River sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh sweetie. All these years and you still don't know how to use your screwdriver. Just set it to 'dissolve' and then 'extract'."

Jack suppressed a giggle.

"I..." the Doctor blushed. "I knew that... But it's so... boring, that way."  
Ianto tried to suppress his laughter.

River gave a look in the direction where the Doctor's voice sounded from.

"Still seems a good idea to do it the boring way with the Cenotaph," John said, before he gave Sherlock a small smile.

"A very good idea," Sherlock agreed. "And I believe Mycroft would think so too."  
"Fine..." the Doctor scoffed. "We'll do it the boring way. Just this once." He pulled a lever, and as the image of River dissolved, they were off again.

This time, they didn't all go out to avoid attracting attention, so it was only the Doctor and Jack.

"She did have a point," Jack smirked as they returned. "You hardly see that there's a stone missing now."

"Yes," the Doctor grumbled. "Very boring." He went over and put the stone down next to the others. Nothing happened. He tried sonicing them, but still nothing happened.  
"Maybe you have to put them together," Sherlock suggested.  
"Put them together how?"  
Sherlock stepped up to the table. "May I?" He did not wait for permission, but began rearranging the stones. Soon they formed a perfect square. He stood back and studied them. "Look at the letters now," he said. "It's like they spell out something. The first part is 'Hello' and then 'S', 'W', 'E', 'E', 'T', 'I' ..."

"_Hello sweetie_?" Jack asked.

There was a flash of light that took River's shape for a moment, before she materialised in front of the Doctor.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Ah, finally," River said, stretching her arms. "Hello, sweetie." She smiled.

The Doctor rushed to her, but stopped before hugging her. "Where... When are we?" he asked.

"Oh, you can hug me all you want, pretty boy," she smirked.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the ample curls. "If I say lakeside and Teselecta..." he said hesitantly.

"Way past that," she smiled, pressing a kiss on his cheek. "Why don't you introduce me to your company?"

"Right." The Doctor just stood there for a moment, smiling at her. Then he caught up. "Right." He gestured at the others in turn. "Ianto, coffee genius, Sherlock Holmes, cocky genius, John Watson, sort of a colleague and... Jack..."

Jack chuckled. "Pleased to meet you - Doctor Song, was it?"

River smiled and reached out her hand to let him kiss it. "The pleasure is mine."

The Doctor glared at Jack for a moment, then turned to busy himself with the controls.

"I'd love to hear how you all met, but we have work to do," River said. "I told you not to waste time coming to find me first," she added to the Doctor.

"I can't waste time. I'm a time traveller," the Doctor said, sounding more than a little exasperated. "When were you?"

"1262. I had finally located the Memolapid for study, in Dorset, but it happened to be part of a rather powerful Stone Golem." She sighed. "Like I told you, the creature is in danger, and I may not like it, but the most interesting tile in the universe is still a part of him, so we need to save it."

"Right," the Doctor fiddled with the controls. "13th century Dorset it is."

River shook her head. "Not Dorset. The golem is there, but it can't help itself. We need to stay in London to find its masters."

"We are _not_ seriously going back to the 13th century, right?" John said, looking alarmed.

Sherlock laid an arm around John's shoulder. "Why not? It will be interesting. And technically it is still part of the case."  
The Doctor smiled and pulled the lever that sent them off.

"But..." All John could do was hold on to Sherlock as the box made an abrupt move.

River sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I even let you touch the Tardis, sweetie. You _could_ do this smoothly."

"What's the fun in smoothly?" the Doctor asked as he danced around the console.  
"I wouldn't mind a little smoothness," Ianto muttered, holding on to Jack's arm.

"Later," Jack chuckled.

Ianto giggled and blushed. "That wasn't really what I meant."  
"God, finally," John mumbled when the movement stopped.

Sherlock turned to the door. "Can I?" he asked.  
The Doctor nodded, smiling. "Go ahead."

Jack followed him eagerly, dragging Ianto along. "Wow," he said as they stepped out. "Well, this is... different."

John curiously came out as well, not quite believing his own eyes.

Sherlock spun slowly on the spot, his eyes round with wonder.  
Ianto just stared.  
While they were all distracted, the Doctor took River's hand. "How are you?" he asked softly.

She gave him a soft smile. "I'm fine. It was just another prison, I should have gotten used to it by now. Still, it's a shame I couldn't get a better look at that stone..."

He chuckled. "You do seem to always get yourself locked up, don't you?"

"I don't mind so much as long as I know you will come to save me from the boredom after a while," River smirked.

"You know I will. You call, I show up. Every time." He leaned closer and rested his forehead against hers.

She smiled up at him and kissed him. "So," she said after pulling back. "Shouldn't we make these boys get changed? We'll draw a lot of attention like this... Not that I usually mind, but it can make the job that bit harder. Besides, I _love_ medieval dresses."

"I know you do." He chuckled. "Why don't you round them up and I'll go see what we have."

"Boys!" River called from the door. "I know you're busy admiring the view, but you should all get changed before someone catches sight of you and burns you all at the stake."

John turned towards her, his eyes still wide. "It's the _actual_ thirteenth century."

Sherlock sighed dramatically. "Is a change of clothes really necessary?"

Ianto looked a little doubtful too.

River gave them a look. "Yes. You really can't walk around like this. Don't worry, you'll get your dapper suits back when we return."

Jack laughed and patted Ianto's shoulder. "Come on, I've always wanted to see you in a tunic."

"Well..." The Doctor said, grinning sheepishly as he walked in, carrying a large pile of greyish brown rather coarse clothes. "Not as much tunics as... robes..."

Jack's face fell. "You're not serious."

"Looks like it _will_ help us to blend in though..." John said, smirking a little as he risked a glance at Sherlock's face.

River put her hands on her hips. "You must have something better than that. Or have you been really mean to the Tardis?"

"No..." The Doctor looked slightly offended. "But she took us to a monastery of sorts. I figure she might know something."  
Sherlock shrugged off his jacket and pulled the robe on over his shirt. He stepped outside again and laughed. "I don't believe it... Westminster Abbey."

Jack looked at the robe in his hand, still disappointed. Then he smiled. "Did they actually wear anything underneath these?"

The Doctor shook his head as he began stripping.  
Ianto followed Sherlock's example and kept shirt and trousers on, and so did John.

River pulled up her eyebrows as the Doctor and Jack were undressing around her. "Great view, but do you also have something for me to wear?" she asked the Doctor.

The Doctor paused, just as he was about to pull down his pants. "Uhm, yeah... Back there..." He made a vague gesture.

"Oh, don't be shy. Nothing I haven't seen yet," River grinned before turning to find her clothes.

John smiled as he followed Sherlock outdoors. "How is it possible that you look good in _everything_? Even this brings out your cheekbones."

Sherlock smiled at him. "You don't think you may be just a little bit biased in judging my appearance?" He almost bent down to kiss John, but stopped himself. "I suppose we will have to keep our hands off each other while we're out and about in this attire."

John wrinkled his nose. "Right... I'm not sure I like this century."

"Oh, but I'm sure some monks would understand," Jack chuckled. "I once knew..." He was interrupted by a loud "ooooh no" inside the Tardis.

"Is that your interpretation of a medieval dress? Believe me, I will be a _very_ naughty nun," River said, raising her eyebrows at the Doctor.

"I do not doubt it," the Doctor twirled his screwdriver and grinned at her. "Shall we?" he asked and pointed towards the door.

River readjusted her cap, where a few unruly curls were already escaping. "Yes, I suppose."

When they stepped outside, the others turned and looked at her with quite different reactions. Jack suppressed a chuckle. "You look good, Sister Song."

Sherlock merely raised an eyebrow, but Ianto rushed over to help her with the cap. He hesitated, his hands already raised. "May I?"

"Of course, dear," River smiled, bending her head.

"A monk straightening a nun's cap. Well well," Jack grinned.

"There you go," Ianto said as he got the hair under control. "Seems a shame to cover it up though."  
Then he yelped as he realised the Doctor was standing right behind him, almost resting his chin on Ianto's shoulder to study the result. "Lovely," he said.

"Thank you," River said with a wink. "So, what's our plan? We just go in and ask if the monks have seen the aliens?"

"What kind of aliens, anyway?" Jack asked.

"Lapicomedons," River answered. "The Stone Golem I met in Dorset is theirs. It is guarding their history and imprisoned me when I accidentally touched it. Long story. But because people happen to be afraid of moving stone, the Golem is in danger. If they keep trying to bring him down, they might damage the Memolapid that contains their history, and years of study would have been for nothing."

"Lapicomedons? Really?" the Doctor practically bounced with excitement. "Live ones?"

"I hope so," she said with a small shrug. "According to their history, the chance is rather remote, but if they're anywhere, it's here. And maybe the Golem wouldn't be active if they really were extinct."

"What do they look like?" John asked.

"Oh, they are beautiful," the Doctor said, smiling. "Tall and slender. Almost like pillars. Literally. Their torso and the most of their legs are covered in a kind of exoskeleton that they grow from their main food source: rock. But their arms are incredibly flexible. Two sets of elbows. And they have the most amazing voices."

"But there aren't many of them left," River said. "The Memolapid stated that a few of them came to earth. All those that had stayed on their own planet, perished in the war."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "_Will_ perish," he said.  
Sherlock looked from one to the other. "So it has not happened yet, but you know it will? Are you trying to prevent it?"

River hesitated. "I'm not sure that is possible. Even if we can bring them peace, they still have the weapon with which it all ended. If that isn't destroyed as well, the same might just happen at a later point in time." She looked at the Doctor.

He visibly deflated. "I'm afraid the launching of the weapon is a fixed point in time. And it left the entire species dead, dying or sterile. In what you call the 18th century they become extinct."  
Ianto gasped and took Jack's hand. "That's terrible. An entire species? One weapon?"  
"It was biological," Sherlock concluded.  
The Doctor nodded.

"They need stone to live, and the stone on their planet needs them," River explained. "One group launched a corrosive, mixed with microorganisms that infected the stone. They didn't know that it would spread, so not only the hostile tribe felt the damage. Without stone, there was no food for them, and those who were desperate enough to eat it, died of a severe disease. Only the few that left before the launching have a chance of survival."

Sherlock nodded. "And some went here. Taking with them a golem carrying a written account of their history."  
The Doctor looked at him. "That's amazing. How do you know that?"

"I just more or less told them, sweetie," River smiled.

"Yes," the Doctor frowned at her. "But still... It usually takes a lot more explaining and a lot of 'hold on, aliens?' and... stuff... I mean, look at the others." He gestured to John and Ianto.

John quickly changed his expression. "I know there are aliens. We've seen them at Torchwood. It's more the time travel that bothers me."

Sherlock nodded. "It should. It complicates things. Even more than the things we learned in Cardiff."

"Oh, you get used to it," River smiled.

Sherlock smiled at her. Then he turned to the Doctor. "What is a 'fixed point'?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Doctor knocked on the large front doors of the abbey, showed a piece of paper to the confused monk who greeted them, and ten minutes later they were set up with three rooms. Two for the 'brothers' and a larger and nicer one for Sister Song.  
"What was that thing you showed them?" Sherlock asked.  
"Psychic paper," Jack smirked.  
"Oh, yes." The Doctor smiled. "We are envoys from the bishop of...", he looked at the card, "of... Hexen?"

Jack chuckled. "And yet we live."

"So what's the plan?" John asked.

"Get settled in," the Doctor said, turning on the spot, admiring their humble accommodations. "And then...?" He turned to River.

"I suggest that we go out on the streets. If the Lapicomedons are around here, someone must have seen them," River said.

"How about asking the monks as well?" Jack asked.

Sherlock nodded. "Sounds like a sensible tactic. We should split up and assign boroughs."  
"John and I can go together," Ianto said, a little too quickly.

John smiled. "Yes, sure."

"You do whatever you want," Jack smirked. "It's been far too long since I teamed up with the Doctor."

"Well, that leaves us, Mr. Holmes." River looked up at Sherlock.

"Indeed," Sherlock smiled at her. "I'll be quite interested to learn more about your work, Doctor Song."

They decided that Jack and the Doctor would stay at the monastery, and the other two groups would each take opposite directions away from it.

...

"Right," John said as he was walking out with Ianto. "So how do we do this? Won't people notice that we talk differently and, I don't know, how is a monk even supposed to walk?"

"Jack told me something about the Tardis ship translating to any language. Maybe it works for old dialects too." He shrugged. "Let's give it a try."  
He went up to two young local women and asked them if they had seen anything unusual.  
They clearly understood him perfectly and were very friendly. So friendly in fact that after only a few minutes of conversation a very flustered Ianto had to excuse himself and hurried off.

"And here they made us believe the Middle Ages were all prudish," John grinned at Ianto.

"Shut up," Ianto muttered, blushing, as the young ladies called after him, suggesting a discount for the 'pretty lad'.

"Seems your charm is timeless," John chuckled. "Let's go talk to the old man over there. Maybe he'll be able to focus."

Ianto nodded. "Your turn."

...

"So," Sherlock began, as they strolled down a street. "What exactly are you a doctor of?"

"Archaeology," River answered with a smile. "The most logical option if you want to find the Doctor."

Sherlock nodded. "Who is he?"

"He's the last of the Timelords. A powerful genius, always busy saving humankind, but most of all..." She smiled. "Well, he's a bit of an idiot, too."

Sherlock smiled at her. "I think I know what you mean," he said, then added, "except that first bit. What's a Timelord?"

"An alien from Gallifrey. The name 'Timelord' explains itself, doesn't it?" she said.

"I suppose so."  
They walked in silence for a while, then Sherlock spoke again. "Do you travel with him? Is this what you do? Search for artefacts and aliens? Throughout history and on other worlds?"

"That's what I do, but unfortunately not always with him. Our timelines are... complicated. The Doctor and I don't meet in the right order."

"How can that be?" Sherlock asked. "He can travel through time. Surely he can choose when and where you meet." He watched her for a moment, frowning slightly. "I guess not," he said. "Other forces at work? Beyond your control?"

River's expression saddened a little. "So it seems," she said with a sigh. She was quiet for a short while, then said, "So, I've always wondered... You and Dr. Watson...?"

Sherlock smiled and nodded. "Very much together."

River grinned. "I knew it." Then she crouched and picked up a stone. "Look... You never know with stones, it could be its normal shape, but if it had been eaten partly, it might look like this... It's a shame how little is known about Lapicomedon eating patterns."

Sherlock took the stone and studied it. "I think you may be right." He turned it over. "Do you have any more information about this species? Perhaps in the Tardis?"

"Yes, I'm sure it can show us a little more. Although I'm afraid there isn't _that_ much known about them," River answered.

Sherlock nodded and put the stone in one of his pockets.

…

In the evening, Sherlock and River were the first to arrive back at the monastery. "Hello swee... I mean, Brother Doctor," River smirked when she spotted him.

The Doctor grinned. "Sister River. Brother Sherlock." He nodded at them. "Have you had any luck? Brother Jack has been very industrious but, I fear, with very meagre results."

Jack grinned. "That depends on what result you want to see."

"We found some interesting stones," River said. "It might lead us to the Lapicomedons, but it might as well be a false track."

"Oh, what kind of results did you get?" Ianto interrupted as he and John walked in.

"Just a small study I've always wanted to perform in the Middle Ages," Jack answered with a smirk. "Have you two been successful?"

John grinned. "Oh, Ianto had a lot of success. Possibly of the same kind."

Ianto hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then he giggled, batted a playfully dismissive hand at John and turned away to hide his smirk.  
"Oh," Sherlock said. "What kind of experiment?"

"Asked the great genius," River said, looking amused.

John chuckled.

Sherlock looked around. Then it hit him. "Oh..." He turned to Jack. "And what did you learn?"

Jack winked. "Maybe we should discuss that tonight, when we're alone."

John rolled his eyes.

**...**

Dinner passed in complete silence. They had been given a table to themselves at one end of the large dining hall. Both Sherlock and John amused themselves with trying to determine how large a percentage of the monks kept glancing at Jack, River or both of them.  
This was, however, the only form of entertainment and the food was rather bland, so it was with a sense of great relief that they all got to their feet as the bell rang and made their way to River's room, which was the only one large enough to fit them all comfortably.  
"I have explained to the abbot that while we are on our current quest, we will perform all rites and services in solitude," the Doctor explained once the door was closed and all the monks had gone to Compline. "As fascinating as following 'the hours' would be, I'm afraid that it would be considered a waste of time, that someone seems to think we already have too little of." He glanced at River.

"I suggest we get some sleep. The monks will wake us at a time that should still be called night anyway, and in the dark there's even less chance of finding any mark that leads us to the aliens," Jack said.

"Oh no, you don't," Ianto said. "Let's hear about the results of your 'experiment'. What did you learn? Are all 13th century monks susceptible to your charms or just some of them?"  
"Most of them, it would seem," Sherlock answered. Then he turned to Jack. "Or am I mistaken?"

Jack chuckled. "Glad you think so, Sherlock, but I have the impression that the time is a little against me. It seems that most would be interested if they dared, but there are only a few who dare to show it. Still, I'm curious how far I can get in a few days."

The Doctor glared at him. "Don't you dare, Jack. A little flirting is fine, but do not mess with these men. They are devoted to their faith and the life they have chosen. You could do so much damage in a place like this, that even I would not be able to rectify it. Besides," he glanced at Ianto, "I doubt you'll be feeling lonely while we're here."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes, _fine_, Doctor, I promise I won't have too much fun while we're out here."  
"There was one monk," Sherlock said, "who showed no interest in any of us. But I didn't get a good look at him, because he kept his head down throughout the entire meal."

"Maybe he's one of the extremely devoted types," John shrugged.

"Or it could be the blind one," the Doctor said. "He seemed very unfazed by Jack's... conduct. Not even the pheromones seemed to get through to him."

"He just didn't show it," Jack said, pulling up his eyebrows.

River looked amused.

"Yes," Ianto said, "because no one, and I mean no one, is immune to the irresistible charms of Captain Jack Harkness."  
"True," Sherlock said. "We all know, that if John here hadn't knocked me over the head and hauled me back to our cave, I too would have succumbed."

John burst out laughing. "Sorry... The mental image..."

Jack pretended to pout. "I wish it was true, Sherlock. Any time..."

Sherlock took John's hand. "Sorry, Jack," he said. "If only I had met you first, but I am very much taken."  
Ianto frowned and busied himself with a loose thread in his sleeve.

John grinned triumphantly.

"I'll have to learn to live with it," Jack chuckled, nudging Ianto in the ribs to make him stop fretting.

River followed the movement with a smirk. "Maybe we _should_ all go to bed."

Ianto nodded, still looking a bit perturbed.  
"So how do we do this?" Sherlock asked. "This room is of course intended for 'Sister River', and we've got two rooms for the rest of us."

"I suggest Ianto and I take the smallest room and give the couples some space," Jack said.

"Couples?" John looked from River to the Doctor.

Sherlock squeezed his hand. "Newlyweds," he said. "Well, partly."

River beamed. "So sometimes our genius _is_ good."

"Alright," John said. "Uhm, sure. Congratulations."

The Doctor beamed at him. "Thank you." He took River's hand. "Though, to tell you the truth, she didn't leave me much choice. Marrying her was the only way I could get her to kill me."

John once again looked between them with a frown. "Ah, right."

"Still, I wonder what the monks would say if they saw Brother Doctor enter the only room with a Sister in it. Might give you a bad name, Doctor. Better be subtle about it," Jack smirked.

The Doctor grinned smugly. "Oh, I can be very subtle." He turned to River. "I'll be back when evening prayers are over." Then he smiled at John and Sherlock. "I'll be out of your way as soon as I can."

"Good." John gave Sherlock a quick smug glance.

"Brother Ianto and I will retire for the night. Sleep well... or have fun." Jack left the room with a wink.

Ianto smiled a little sheepishly at the rest of them and then hurried to follow Jack.  
Sherlock rolled his eyes and took John's hand. He nodded at River. "Goodnight, Doctor Song," he said and left, pulling John along.  
The Doctor stood for a moment just looking at her. Then he too left.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

John was sitting a bit awkwardly on one of the three narrow beds in the room. "Not sure it will be a comfortable night," he said, doubtfully looking down at where a proper mattress would have been welcome.

The Doctor was by the door, listening. Only a few minutes ago, the air had been filled with the sounds of footsteps and rushing robes as the monks made their way to their rooms. Now everything was quiet.  
"Okay," he said, turning to smile at them. "I'm off. Sleep tight. Or whatever you plan..." He winked and left the room.  
Sherlock got up from his own bed and walked over to stand in front of John. He took his hand and pulled him to his feet. "I'll see what I can do to make it more pleasant," he promised as he took hold of John's robe and began pulling it off him.

John smiled softly. "I don't doubt it." He helped Sherlock get the robes off both of them and then pulled him in by his shirt lapels for a kiss. Sherlock wrapped his arms around him, humming happily.

"Finally," John sighed as he pulled back. He smoothed his hands over Sherlock's chest and started opening the buttons.

Smiling, Sherlock got to work on John's clothes. "You make a cute monk."

John pulled up his eyebrows. "You make a sexy monk. That's not even supposed to exist."

"Of course I do." Sherlock smiled smugly and kissed John while sliding his shirt of his shoulders.

John chuckled and answered the kiss, pulling Sherlock closer.

Just as they had finished undressing and were settling on the hard bed, the kisses turning more hungry, the touches more insistent, there came a soft knock at the door.  
"I'm really very sorry to disturb," the Doctor whispered as he slipped into the room, covering his eyes with one hand. "I'm afraid I'll be spending the night here after all."

A small groan escaped John. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely, reluctantly moving away from Sherlock to find their pants.

"Apparently some of the brothers patrol the corridors at night. And for some reason, they all seem intent on paying extra attention to the door leading to River's room."  
"Perhaps," Sherlock said, "they feel that she might pose too great a temptation to some of the weaker brothers."

"Hmm." John glanced longingly at Sherlock's body. "Don't you have another way of entering rooms?" he asked the Doctor. "You know, with your space ship and time travel and all that? Not that I want to make you feel unwelcome, but..."

"They lock the gates after Compline. I can't get to the Tardis now. Besides, it would be a bit noisy landing her in River's room," the Doctor explained as he settled on his bed, still covering his eyes.  
Sherlock sighed. "I'm afraid the beds are too narrow for cuddling comfortably," he said, as he got up and moved to the remaining bed. "Good night, love. Good night, Doctor."

"Yeah, good night, I suppose," John sighed.

...

In the other room, Jack had Ianto pushed up against the wall, snogging him senseless while lifting his robes so he could pull his shirt out of his trousers. "Shame you aren't naked under those," he sighed between kisses. "It would save us undressing..."

"No, it wouldn't," Ianto mumbled. "There would just be less clothes to remove."

"Hmm, but you could keep it on," Jack purred. "Always wanted to get a monk in my bed..."

"But it itches. I don't know how you stand wearing it against bare skin," Ianto protested.

"It does... Think of it as stimulating." Jack ghosted his mouth over the side of Ianto's neck.

"You're horrible." Ianto snickered. "Okay, I'll keep it on, but then I want to be on top. I don't want carpet burn or anything."

Jack gave him a radiating smile and kissed him again, quickly working Ianto's trousers off under the robe.

"You're not keeping yours on, are you?" Ianto asked as he stepped out of his trousers. "I have no desire to get intimate with clergy."

Jack chuckled. "I'll be as naked as you wish me to be."

"Very naked then," Ianto said and pulled Jack's robe over his head.

Jack smirked and rubbed his cock against the coarse fabric of Ianto's robe a few times, humming lowly.

"You've really got a fetish for this stuff, don't you?" Ianto teased as he pushed Jack towards the bed.

Jack chuckled. "Maybe I do. Aren't you honoured that you're my first monk?" He lay down, pulling Ianto along. "God, it's been centuries since I was on a bed like this... Can't say I missed it."

Ianto grinned. "I'm not technically a monk, as you very well know." He hitched up his robe and straddled Jack. "Which, I think you would agree with me, is a good thing, considering a monk would hardly be able to do this." With practiced ease he positioned himself and sank down on Jack, taking him in to the root.

Jack sighed in pleasure. "I'll have to admit that you're better than a monk... You've only got the advantages." He smoothed his hands over the fabric and started thrusting up slowly.

Ianto smiled smugly and closed his eyes as he began moving to meet Jack's thrusts. "I hope I'm not breaking the illusion," he teased. "Should I be more hesitant and inexperienced?"

"Oh no, at least I don't have to be careful now... Besides, somehow you're still always so tight around me." Jack put his hands on Ianto's hips, making sure he could feel the robe in his hands, and moaned.

Ianto began moving faster, as he bent down and kissed Jack deeply. Jack groaned and answered the kiss eagerly, thrusting hard.

They both stopped mid-movement when there came a loud knock on the door.  
"Brother Jack?" one of the younger monks called. "Are you feeling ill?"

"Er." Jack looked up at Ianto. "No?"

"We heard moaning. And thrashing. Are you sure you are well? How about Brother Ianto?"

"Oh." Jack had to keep himself from laughing. "Yes, Ianto is also quite well. We were, er... moving something. So we can do some exercise that goes with our prayers."

"Oh. I see." There was a brief pause. "Do you need a hand with anything?"

Ianto covered his mouth to stifle a laugh and then squeezed around Jack's cock.

"Ah... No, that's very kind, Brother. I'm sure Brother Ianto and I can finish it ourselves," Jack said a little breathlessly.

Ianto began rolling his hips slowly.  
"Are you sure, Brother? I would be happy to help."

Jack bit his lip to stifle a moan. "Yes, I'm sure you would. Maybe another time. Goodnight, Brother."

"Goodnight, Brother Jack. And Brother Ianto."  
"Goodnight to you, Brother," Ianto replied cheerily, bearing down on Jack quite hard.

Jack groaned and greedily grabbed his hips again.

Ianto shushed him teasingly as he began moving faster.

"Oh... Brother Ianto..." Jack whispered, his eyes rolling back.

"Yes, Brother Jack?" Ianto asked, barely suppressing a giggle.

"Oh... Oh god..." Jack moaned again, then tensed and came hard.

"Amen..." Ianto added, riding Jack through his orgasm. Then he collapsed on top of him, giggling. "We're going to hell, aren't we?" he asked.

Jack smiled lazily. "Seems a better idea than heaven anyway... Must be boring there." He kissed Ianto.

Ianto returned the kiss and then raised himself up a little. "Before you go to sleep with that smug smile you master so well, do you think you could take care of me?"

"Sorry. You were just so overwhelmingly good..." Jack started slowly stroking Ianto's cock. "Don't stain your habit."

"There's an easy way to avoid that," Ianto said with a grin as he eased off Jack. He got to his feet. "Kneel on the floor," he said. "We might as well go all the way with our sacrilegious decadence."

"Oh..." Jack stared at Ianto in happy surprise for a moment, then rushed to kneel before him. "Your Holiness..." He smirked up at Ianto and wrapped his lips around his cock.

Ianto sighed and closed his eyes as he buried his fingers in Jack's hair. "Very good, Brother Jack," he muttered.

Jack hummed around him and bobbed his head, one of his hands tangling on the robe above him. Ianto rocked his hips gently and groaned as Jack swirled his tongue around the head of his cock before taking him deeper again.

"Maybe..." Ianto gasped, "we could ask the Doctor to let us keep this... robe."

Jack smirked but didn't stop licking and sucking.

"Holy fuck..." Ianto groaned as he thrust forward and came, tugging hard at Jack's hair.

Once Jack had licked him clean and pulled off, he chuckled. "Holy indeed..."

Ianto giggled as he sat down on the bed. "Watch it, or I'm going to insist you keep on calling me 'your Holiness'." He grabbed Jack's hair and pulled him over for a kiss.

Jack smirked. "I'm glad you enjoyed it too."

"It was... interesting. Had I known you had this particular fetish, I would have invested in a robe months ago. But I do suppose the scenery adds quite a lot to the experience."

"Yes, it does. A monk at Torchwood would be a little strange." Jack chuckled and kissed Ianto again. "Well, time to go to bed I suppose." He pulled a face in the direction of his bed.

"Let's not add lying to the sins we've already committed here," Ianto said and went to the foot of his bed. "Give me a hand moving this thing."

Jack smiled. "Oh Ianto. You have the most wonderful ideas today."

"I know," Ianto said, as they moved the two beds together. Then he spread out both their cloaks over the beds to make them as soft as possible.

Jack smiled and pressed a kiss on Ianto's neck before he lay down.

Ianto cuddled up to him, pulling the thin blankets over them. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Good night, Ianto." Jack laid an arm around him and pulled him close.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When the bells sounded, calling the monks to Lauds, Sherlock nudged John. "Are you sleeping?" he asked. "Morning bells are ringing."

With a complaining moan, John rolled onto his back so he could look up at Sherlock. "'s early," he mumbled.

"Yes, but you're supposed to be a monk. Get up." Sherlock laughed.  
The Doctor chuckled and began humming as he sat up in his bed.

John sighed and sat up, pulling Sherlock down for a kiss.

Sherlock returned the kiss and then pulled away. "Get dressed, Brother John."

John looked a little disappointed, but stretched and got out of bed.

As they crossed the yard to get to the dining hall, the Doctor pointed towards a monk coming in from the gardens. "Look," he told John. "Someone has been up even earlier, working."  
"That's the blind one I noticed last night," Sherlock concluded, just as the young monk stumbled over a broom that someone had left lying across the path.

John rushed towards him and helped him up. "Are you alright, Brother?"

"Yes," the monk answered, smiling. "I'm quite used to taking a tumble a couple of times a day." He brushed the dirt of his robe. "It's not much use knowing the buildings by heart if my brothers insist on leaving obstacles on the ground." He chuckled. "I know of course they do not do it on purpose."

John smiled at the young man. "Still, they ought to be more careful. I'll walk with you so I can warn you if there is something on the ground."

"That is very kind of you," the monk answered. "You are Brother John, are you not? Named after one of the evangelists like myself? I am Brother Matthew."

"Ah, John's making friends?" Jack smirked as he walked up behind Sherlock and the Doctor. "Quite a good looking monk, that one."

Brother Matthew looked towards Jack. "That is an odd observation. Are aesthetics important to your order?"

Jack smiled. "Not exactly, but it can't hurt to appreciate them."

John rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him. Brother Jack is a little... Well, he doesn't always realise what he's saying."

"Oh." Brother Matthew put on a slightly pitying expression as he turned in Jack's general direction. "I'm sorry, Brother."  
Ianto covered his mouth to stifle a giggle.  
"Brother Ianto?" Brother Matthew said, turning his head a little. "Surely it is unkind to laugh at those inflicted with a weaker mind."  
Ianto snorted and leaned on Jack, shaking with silent laughter.  
Brother Matthew turned to John, clearly confused. "Where is it you say you are from?"

John smiled. "Don't mind Brother Ianto either. He takes care of Brother Jack, and sometimes has a hard time doing so. We're from, er, Hexen."

Sherlock and the Doctor got hold of the giggling Ianto and miffed Jack and steered them towards the dining hall.  
"And Sister River is travelling with you?" Brother Matthew asked. "She has a very lovely and expressive voice."

"Yes," John nodded, walking next to him and gently taking his arm when he needed to guide him around anything. "I haven't known her for long, but Brother Doctor knows her well. She will join us for breakfast, but she couldn't accompany us for the prayers."

"Of course," Brother Matthew said. "I too was prevented from participating this morning as I had other duties."

"What did you have to do?" John asked, interested.

"Oh... I was clearing stones from where they will be planting later today." He held up a muddy hand. "A messy job, but I like getting my fingers in the dirt."

"And a useful job too," John smiled, as they entered the dining hall.

An elder monk approached them. "Ah, brother Matthew," he said. "You are early this morning." He smiled at John. "Thank you for assisting him. I'll take him to get cleaned up." He held out his arm, and Brother Matthew took it.  
"I hope to get a chance to talk to you again, Brother John," he said, as he was led away.  
"Over here," Sherlock called from the table where he and the others were joining River.

A few of the other monks frowned at him.

"I think you're not supposed to call out in here," John smiled as he sat down next to Sherlock.

"That's okay," Sherlock said with a grin. "We're strangers from a strange place anyway. Everything we do confuses them. I just heard a few whispering about Brother Jack being so afflicted, that Brother Ianto has to hold him down the entire night, so he won't hurt himself." He looked around the room. Even more monks were glancing at Jack than the previous evening, but it was with a different kind of interest.

Jack grinned. "Ah, so that's what we were doing."

"And where were you last night?" River asked the Doctor.

"I couldn't get past the honour guard circling your room," he said under his breath. "Stormcage was so much easier getting into."

She smirked. "I'd almost miss my days in prison."

"Really?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I just miss the nights."

"Well, the days were looking forward to the nights," River answered.  
Ianto giggled. "The nights here are just fine," he said, straightening his robe. Then he leaned towards Jack. "I'm so glad you talked me into not wearing anything underneath. It really is much more comfortable," he whispered.

Jack smirked. "Not to mention more efficient later, and a lot nicer to think of... Not that I don't like your suits," he whispered back, winking.

Ianto smiled and shifted a little in his seat.  
"Speaking of convenience," Sherlock said. "If I am to study up on the Lapicomedons, I should probably return to the Tardis."  
The Doctor nodded. "River can keep Jack company."  
"Or," Ianto said, hurriedly, "I could stay here with Jack, as the monks expect me to keep an eye on him and the two other doctors could go out into the city together."

"Hmmm, all those Doctors..." Jack mumbled.

"Hopefully we find more than we did yesterday," John said, giving River a friendly nod.

The Doctor nodded. "I'll find you two once I've got Sherlock properly introduced to S... to the Tardis, so she'll work with him."

After breakfast, River heard a few of the monks talk about getting supplies at the market, so she and John decided to go as well, figuring that if there ever was a place where a lot of information was exchanged, it would be there. They were walking between the stalls when River spotted one selling stones.

"Brother John," she said, nudging him and nodding in the direction of the booth. "We should go have a look. If that man has found the stones around here, there might be some with the same signs as Brother Sherlock and I have found yesterday."

John nodded. "Are you sure those were... You know, caused by those aliens?"

"Lapicomedons," River smiled. "And no, not at all. I have only read about them, never met them. Maybe when they are finished with the stones, there's just nothing left. But at least it's a trail. Otherwise I simply don't know where to look."

"Ah, Brother, Sister," the old vendor greeted them. "Do you perhaps have interest in some beautiful stones for the garden of your convent?"

"We have more interest in the smaller stones," River answered. "Can we have a look?"

"Sure! I'm afraid most are only suited for jewellery, but perhaps your order allows some excesses? I'm sure this one would look beautiful on an abbess chain for you," he said, picking up a green stone and holding it in front of River.

"Thank you, but our needs are rather specific. We'll just look at what you have." She gave him a friendly but obvious nod, and he took the hint to leave them alone for a while.

"Is this what you meant with the marks?" John asked soon, as he picked up one of the stones.

River studied it. "Possibly, yes. Are there any more of these?"

John waved at the small pile where he had found them.

"Excuse me, Sir," River said, drawing the attention of the vendor again. "These stones... Are they all from this area, or did you find them somewhere else?"

"Most are from around here," the man nodded. "But hard to find. They have a beautiful shape, and they aren't expensive. How many would you like?"

"Er, we don't have money," John realised.

"Oh, Brother John. Then why are we wasting this poor man's time? I'm sorry," River told the vendor, giving him a beautiful smile.

"No problem. You're always welcome to come back," he said friendly.

"Perhaps we'll do that," River nodded, and the vendor didn't see how she slipped one of the stones in the pocket of her robe.

**...**

The Doctor got Sherlock settled at a terminal and showed him how to call up information. The Tardis seemed to like him and was being very cooperative. After watching the detective at work for a couple of minutes, the Doctor got bored, so he wandered off.  
They had landed on the edge of a small wooded area, just behind the abbey. Beautiful, but terribly dull. He strolled along the low wall surrounding the abbey, until he reached a small gate. There was a path leading from the gardens into the woods and he considered following it for a moment, but then his attention was caught by a group of monks walking out into the garden, carrying rakes and buckets.  
He leaned on the wall and enjoyed the view of them working as they were planting a freshly dug area. Then he noticed Jack and Ianto making their way through the garden and towards the gate. He knew that look in Jack's eyes only too well, so he turned and headed back towards the Tardis.

As soon as they were out of the monks' sight behind the trees, Jack pulled Ianto close and kissed him soundly. "I don't care that we are supposed to find out stuff about stony aliens between a lot of stony monks, you are just irresistible like this," he muttered against Ianto's lips.

Ianto chuckled. "Yes, I did think your suggestion that we go look for clues in the woods was a bit... suspicious. And you were right about something. The coarse cloth against my skin is oddly stimulating." He kissed Jack again as he began pulling the captain's robe up, so he could grab his arse.

Jack moaned. "I'm always right about these things." He lifted Ianto's robe too and teasingly stroked up the inside of his thigh before he started touching his cock lightly.

Ianto smirked. "Yes, when it comes to pleasure and arousal, you are the ultimate authority." He bucked his hips into Jack's touch.

Jack smirked and kissed him again, but suddenly pulled back. "Someone's coming this way," he whispered, quickly pushing Ianto back against a tree and holding him still.

Ianto held his breath, as he saw Brother Matthew making his way down the path. Then he took Jack's wrist and pulled him further away, hoping that the natural sounds of the forest would mask their footsteps.  
Brother Matthew stopped for a moment and cocked his head as if listening, then continued and was soon gone between the trees.

"God, that was close," Jack sighed, before flashing Ianto a devilish grin.

Ianto frowned. "I wonder what he's doing out here." He took Jack's hand and led him to a spot further from the path.

"Possibly I'd wonder if I didn't have other things on my mind," Jack chuckled, leaning in for a kiss.

Ianto kissed him briefly and then spun him around pushing him up against a tree. "Then we better take care of that first," he said as he once again pulled up Jack's robe.

Jack hummed. "Oh, Brother Ianto... Let's say I've been a very bad monk, because there's no need at all to be gentle with me."

"I don't intend to," Ianto said, getting his own robe out of the way. He placed a hand on Jack's hip and guided him into position before pushing into him slowly.

Jack groaned and braced himself against the large oak's trunk.

Ianto leaned forward and sucked on Jack's neck as he thrust into him, wrapping his arms around his chest.

Jack moaned, pushing back on him and enjoying the feeling of the robe against his back. "More," he panted.

"Yes, Sir," Ianto smirked as he thrust harder and faster.

"Brother," Jack corrected, but his voice sounded hoarse and a little broken as he let Ianto have his way with him.

"Oh no, you don't," Ianto groaned. "That's your kink... Sir..." He reached down and began stroking Jack.

Jack moaned and his hips bucked uncontrollably into Ianto's hand. "Close," he panted.

Ianto groaned and bit into Jack's shoulder.

"Oh god, Ianto... Yes..." Jack groaned loudly as he reached his orgasm.

"Oh... hell," Ianto muttered against Jack's skin. He thrust hard a couple of times and then followed.

Jack chuckled, leaning against the tree. "I must admit I hadn't done this yet. I mean, this close to a monastery, where they can practically hear us..."

Ianto collapsed against his back. "Let's hope... they haven't..." he panted.

"Yes, otherwise they will need to make sure you can restrain me well enough tonight to behave," Jack grinned, slowly turning around.

"Perhaps I should ask them to help me tie you down," Ianto mused.

Jack smirked and pulled him in his arms. "Could be interesting..."

"I'm sure it could," Ianto said and kissed him. "But I'm probably quite capable of handling you on my own."

"Don't like to share me, hmm?" Jack grinned.

"I doubt it would be the kind of sharing you'd enjoy," Ianto said. "They'd most likely insist on praying over you all through the night."

"I could always teach them some other kind of praying," Jack said smugly.

Ianto looked him in the eyes. "Jack, no," he said sternly. "We've been through this. The Doctor told you too. Don't mess with them."

"You weren't really letting them enter our room. We'll just try to be a little more quiet when we're in there. Out here we can just have fun," Jack said with a shrug.

Ianto smiled. "At least no one wonders at our beds being together. That makes things a lot easier."

"You're full of clever ideas, Ianto Jones," Jack smiled. "Now, any ideas on where we could find Lapicomedons?"

Ianto frowned. "Actually," he said. "It was very strange that Brother Matthew would be walking so deep in the forest on his own. And did you notice the sack he was carrying? It looked really heavy."

"Do you think it has anything to do with it?" Jack asked, frowning a little.

Ianto shrugged. "Could be. We could try and follow the path, but I suspect he's long gone by now."

"Still, there's not much else we can do," Jack said. "I don't know where the others are looking, but River gives the impression that we could be here for a year and not find the aliens. Let's just try if we can find where Matthew has gone."

Ianto nodded and straightened his robe. "Let's go have a look."

Where the path ended, there were only more trees. Jack searched the ground, but Matthew didn't seem to have left footsteps at first sight. "Hmm. He must have gone somewhere, since we didn't see him come back..."

Ianto looked around. "He must have gone off the path somewhere, but I'm afraid I'm not much of a tracker. I bet you Sherlock would spot it instantly."

Jack nodded. "We'll bring him here when he's finished in the Tardis."

Ianto nodded. "Maybe we should return to the garden and see when Brother Matthew returns."

"Yeah. Or stay behind the garden," Jack smirked.

"And risk missing him because we get distracted?"

Jack smirked. "We did notice last time and we _were_ distracted."

"You're impossible." Ianto laughed as he took Jack's hand and dragged him back towards the abbey.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

They all met up close to the Tardis, waiting for Sherlock, who was still inside and had told the Doctor that he would join them 'in a minute'. After they had been chatting about their experiences during the day for a while, John frowned. "What's taking him so long in there?" he asked the Doctor.

The Doctor frowned. "I'm not sure. He looked like he was nearly done with everything I had on the Lapicomedons, which to tell the truth isn't very much. And that was nearly half an hour ago." He snapped his fingers and the door opened. "Maybe he's gotten lost."

John walked in. "Sherlock? What are you doing?"

"Studying," Sherlock answered, bent over a monitor, his nose almost touching the screen.

"What about?"

"This Time War is completely illogical. It..." was as far as he got, before he was knocked over by the Doctor rushing to turn off the terminal.  
"I don't think any of us wants to know what happens if your mind attempts to take on that particular subject," the Doctor said.

John gave Sherlock a worried look.

Sherlock got to his feet and looked around at them all, his hair standing slightly on end, his eyes glinting with excitement. "The things he's got in there," he told them. "It makes the Torchwood archives look like a hitchhiker's guide to Stoke-on-Trent." He laughed, sounding slightly manic.

John frowned. "Sherlock, are you okay?"

He grinned. "I'm fine. I'm fine. It's... It's fantastic..." He turned to the Doctor and grabbed the front of his robe, shaking him a little. "Turn it back on. There's so much more I need to know."

"Doctor, what's happening to him?" John asked, panicking.

"Oh dear." River walked in, pulled Sherlock away from the Doctor and gave the detective a hard slap across his cheek.

The Doctor yelped and jumped back as Sherlock reeled and grabbed at the console. He shook his head as if trying to clear it.  
Ianto stepped forward. "Is he... Is he okay?" he asked.  
The Doctor nodded. "He'll recover. I think the old girl just got a little over-excited having found someone who almost matches me when it comes to powers of comprehension. I'm afraid she's been feeding him data a little too fast." He laughed. "A cup of tea, and he'll be back to normal. Well, when I say normal..."

Jack chuckled, while John stepped closer to Sherlock and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to make eye contact.

"Sorry, dear," River smiled at Sherlock. "It was the only way to get you back with us. Although I must admit I quite enjoyed slapping Sherlock Holmes."

Sherlock looked up at John. "My head..." he muttered. "It feels so... full."  
The Doctor put a chair behind him and then rushed off to make tea, Ianto following close behind him.

John gently guided Sherlock onto the chair and laid a hand on his cheek. "Hey. Look at me. What's happening to you? Has it stopped?"

Sherlock's eyes grew distant for a moment. "There... There's so much in there. Galaxies and millennia... All mixed up. I need to... sort it."  
"I'm afraid there will be none of that," the Doctor said as he returned. "Your brain, formidable as it is, is not built for this level of learning. Most of it will fade within the next twelve hours. In a week, only a few minor details will remain."  
Sherlock groaned. "Not fair..." he complained and then pressed the heels of his hands to his forehead.

"Uhm, did anyone think of bringing painkillers to the Middle Ages?" John asked, looking around.

Jack shook his head. "Only retcon, actually."

Ianto brought the tea and handed it to Sherlock. "That would help, wouldn't it?" he asked the Doctor. "Help him forget it all faster."  
The Doctor shook his head. "No, retcon will only hide the knowledge from him. It would still be there, and it would be harder for his mind to expel it."

John sighed. "Anyway, I guess some rest wouldn't harm him. Just drink your tea," he nodded at Sherlock, who was staring into the fluid.

Sherlock shook his head again and sipped the tea.  
The Doctor gave River a meaningful look and indicated that she should follow him, before turning and walking out of the control room.

River followed him until they were out of earshot. "Yes, Doctor?" she asked seriously.

He turned to her. "We can't take him back to the abbey," he said. "Not while all that is still in his mind. He might have outbursts. Say things..."

River nodded slowly. "Do you suggest we keep him in here to rest? Even then someone should stay with him, because inside the Tardis he can do even more damage."

"My thoughts exactly. I'm sure John will volunteer, but I think it's better if we all take turns. He probably won't be sleeping properly for the first couple of days." The Doctor frowned. "And we have to keep him away from the library. He must not attempt to put anything new into his mind before it has reset."

"It won't be easy..." She shook her head. "Maybe you or I should stay all the time. We know the Tardis, so we can stop him if he gets to more data. And what do we tell the monks about Sherlock?"

"I don't know." The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "That he had to go away? But that doesn't explain us taking turns missing." He began pacing. "I suppose I could lock up the areas we don't want him in. He'll definitely be safer here. We can't even take him home. He cannot travel like this. The time vortex would wipe his mind completely."

"He _will_ be alright... Right?" River gave him a worried look.

The Doctor nodded, but wouldn't meet her eyes. "Of course he will. Everything will be fine."

River sighed, but didn't comment. "Right. We'd better arrange with the others how we are going to deal with this."

The Doctor nodded. "This is all very... unfortunate."

...

John was standing by Sherlock's side and looked up when they returned.

"We've decided it's best if Sherlock rests here in the Tardis," River said.

John nodded. "I'll stay with him."

Ianto got to his feet. "I can help," he offered.  
Sherlock finished his tea and tried getting to his feet. "No," he protested. "We have to find the Lapi... Lapo... Logo... Logopolitans are a race of humanoid mathematicians from the planet Logopolis. They use machines only for simple tasks and have no need of technology. In the 20th century they discover that the universe..."  
"No!" the Doctor cried out as Sherlock went rigid and his eyes distant while he talked. "Someone, stop him..." He rushed forward.

John smacked Sherlock's cheek. "Sorry, love."

Sherlock blinked and stared at him. "For what?"

"Nothing," John smiled. "Try to sleep a little. Doctor, can he lie down here somewhere? Comfortably?"

The Doctor nodded and pointed towards one of the exits. "Put him in the grey room," he advised. "There's nothing on the walls, so he won't risk getting any new input."  
Sherlock leaned a little on John. "Until the reign of queen Xanxia, Zanak was actually a peaceful and prosperous planet..." he muttered.

John sighed. "Sherlock..." He shook him a little. "I'll just bring him to bed, okay?"

River nodded. "We'll take turns watching over him."

"Fireplaces," Sherlock muttered as John led him away. "Fireplaces and mirrors."  
Ianto leaned on Jack and whispered: "Poor guy."

"Yeah, the Tardis can really mess people up," Jack said with a sympathetic expression. "At least we have a good excuse now to punch him now and then."

Ianto dug his elbow into Jack's ribs. "You're horrible," he said, almost not laughing.

Jack chuckled. "I think even John agrees on the punching, if he's honest."

"Be nice." Ianto pinched his arm.

"Maybe we should go have a look at where Brother Matthew was going, if he was acting as suspicious as you two told us," River said. "Unless you don't think it safe to leave Sherlock and John?" she asked the Doctor.

The Doctor shook his head. "They'll be fine. As long as John doesn't let him rant. And gives him plenty of tea."

"Oh, he'll do that. I think he knows perfectly how to take care of Sherlock," Jack smiled.

Ianto giggled and nodded.  
"Right, then," the Doctor said and headed for the door. "Let's go investigate the mysterious disappearing monk."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"And here we lost Matthew," Jack told River and the Doctor, when they had reached the end of the path again. "Sherlock would probably see where he has gone within a second, but well..."

River kneeled. "There's one of those stones on the ground here. John and I saw those serrated sides even at the market today."

The Doctor joined her. "Let me see." He took the stone, soniced it for a few seconds and then nodded. "Yup," he said. "Lapicomedons. Sampled and discarded it. Too much lime."

"At least we're on the right track. I wonder how Matthew met them," Jack said.

The Doctor glanced around. "And why he's continuing to associate with them. Is he helping them? Holding them captive? Are they somehow forcing him?"

"He doesn't seem the type to hold them captive," River said.

"Let's go that way." Jack pointed in the direction where River had found the stone.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, that would seem like the obvious choice. Except..." He turned on the spot, sonicing their surroundings. "There's a sampled stone over there." He pointed in the exact opposite direction and then a little to the right. "And over there."

"Yeah, whatever," Jack shrugged with a smile, heading in the direction the Doctor had indicated.

Ianto gasped and almost tripped over his own feet in surprise when he pushed a branch out of the way and came face to face with a frowning Brother Matthew.  
"What are you all doing here?" the monk asked.

"We are..." Jack started.

"Walking," River nodded. "Enjoying the fresh air. It's really different from where we live."

"And yet you have brought such strange noises with you. What was that sound?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

River hesitated only a moment, before she said: "It is a hobby of Brother Doctor's to try imitating bird sounds. Unfortunately, he is not as good at it as he hopes... If I may say so, Brother," she added, bending her head in the Doctor's direction.

"That is indeed a very poor imitation of a bird," Brother Matthew agreed. He turned his head almost as if looking at all of them. "Are you lost? Do you want me to show you the way back to the abbey?"

"No, we were actually heading in the direction where you come from," Jack answered. "The wild nature is always so much more interesting than following the path."

"Ah, Brother Jack," Brother Matthew said. "Yes, I noticed you and Brother Ianto have an... unorthodox... way of appreciating nature."  
Ianto blushed as the Doctor frowned at the both of them and then giggled.

Jack cleared his throat. "So, may we continue our walk?"

"Of course." Brother Matthew smirked. "It is not my place to tell three brothers and a sister what is proper or not." He turned and headed back towards the path, walking fast and steadily.

Jack chuckled. "I'm actually starting to like that boy."

The Doctor frowned. "I'm a little concerned he might talk to someone who _would _consider it their place to tell us what is proper or not."

"Then he would have to explain what he was doing so deep in the woods," River said. "Besides, we're not doing anything wrong. Just looking around. Not our fault that he has a dirty mind." She smirked.

Ianto blushed even more. "Or an excellent hearing..."

"Naughty boys," River grinned.

"Well, nothing to do about that now," Jack said, shrugging. "If he goes blabbing, we can still say that he's hiding aliens here and see who they believe."

"Except," the Doctor said, "we can't actually prove anything. And no one would know what we meant by 'aliens'."

"I know, don't spoil it," Jack chuckled. "We'll see what happens. Maybe Matthew grants us a little fun."

"Or trouble," Ianto said, frowning, as he continued in the direction Brother Matthew had come from.

"More of those stones," River remarked, pointing at the ground. "But they're more or less everywhere, not in one direction. Either we're very close, or the Lapicomedons really don't want to be found."

The Doctor soniced the area, and then the ground right below his feet. "There's a cavity here," he said. "Right below us."

"Is it deep, or can we enter it by digging?" Jack asked.

"Maybe it's a little more elegant if we try to find an entrance first," River pointed out.

"Elegance is not Jack's usual style," Ianto said, smiling.  
The Doctor kept sonicing the ground, following a jagged invisible trail towards a particularly thick patch of trees and bushes.

"Anything, Doctor?" Jack asked, still looking at the ground as if he was looking for the most efficient place to start digging.

"There's something like a tunnel, leading... or rather, coming from over here. It's getting closer to the surface," the Doctor explained as he went on his hands and knees and peered under some bushes.

"Can we get in?" River asked.

"We can try." With much huffing and grunting, the Doctor crawled under the bush. Then, a moment later, he cried out in surprise.  
The others rushed around the bush to see that he had come out on the other side, only to tumble into a small hollow in the ground.  
He grinned up at them, his hair filled with leaves and dirt. "Found it."

Jack chuckled at the sight of him. "Now they're really going to think the wrong things when they see you again."

"They'll think exactly the right thing," the Doctor said. "That I stumbled onto something interesting. Look." He pointed to what had at first seemed like a dark shadow, but on closer inspection turned out to be the entrance to a narrow tunnel. "And look there." Down the side of the hollow was a clear set of footprints leading down. "I believe Brother Matthew was here."

"Let's go see what he was up to," Jack said, walking towards the entrance.

Ianto followed him carefully down, as the Doctor disappeared into the tunnel.

"Rather dark in here," River said, putting her hand on the wall as she went last.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" the Doctor said, and changed a setting on his screwdriver so it shone a little brighter, dimly illuminating their surroundings.

"Yeah, why don't you make it a little more eerie," Jack smiled, following the Doctor where their shadows flickered over the wall.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Doctor said smirking. "Would you prefer red? Or pink?"

"Pink would do nicely," Jack grinned.

"Do you see something or is this tunnel endless?" River asked after a while from behind them.

"There may be a light up ahead," the Doctor whispered.  
Ianto found a hand that he hoped was Jack's and squeezed it tightly.

Jack gently squeezed back and tried to peer past the Doctor, hoping to catch a glimpse of the aliens.

The Doctor stopped so suddenly that Jack almost bumped into him. He gasped. "Oh, they're so beautiful."  
There was an odd scraping sound and a large boulder rolled slowly towards them and then came to a halt, effectively blocking their path.

"Hey, what's happening?" Jack asked, jumping back.

The Doctor grinned as he soniced the boulder. "The Lapicomedons did not want visitors, so they closed their front door."  
"You mean they moved that?"  
Ianto whispered: "They must be terribly strong."  
"Oh, not really." The Doctor laughed. "They didn't even touch it."

River made her way past Ianto and Jack to gently touch the stone. "They are amazingly interesting. Any idea how we can win their trust?" she asked the Doctor.

"We can start with taking the hint and leaving," he said, taking her hand.

She frowned. "Not when we're getting so close. Can't you use your screwdriver, if only to send them a message?"

"The only message I'd be sending them would be that we are terribly rude busybodies with no respect for their home or wishes. We know where they are now. We'll find a way. Come on." He tugged gently on her hand to make her follow him out.

River sighed but turned around.

"But if they don't want to talk to us now, why would we have more luck next time?" Jack asked.

"We could try not showing up unannounced," Ianto suggested. "Ask Brother Matthew to bring them a message of... peace and friendship." He chuckled weakly.

"Might be hard to convince him," Jack said doubtfully.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Brother Matthew waited for them in the gardens when they returned. The rest of the monks were in the dining hall for the last meal of the day. When he heard them approach, he sighed and stepped towards them.  
"Greetings, brothers and sister. I trust you had a pleasant stroll off the path. Is it a part of your order's rites to perform your prayers in nature? Or to snoop in private matters that are clearly no concern of yours?"

Jack frowned. "We were just walking. I don't see how that is a private matter. Do you think we disturbed the birds?"

Brother Matthew smirked. "I am blind, not stupid."

"I never said you were," Jack answered, trying to sound more polite.

"Then don't assume I do not know that you were looking for me, to discover what I am hiding, out in the woods. I heard you talking about stones. The ones I bring out there."

"Well, you have to admit that it is strange and can generate some curiosity," River said gently. "Why do you bring them there?"

"That, dear sister, is none of your business." Brother Matthew turned and left.

"Wait," Jack said. "It could be important to us."

Brother Matthew paused. "How so? Why are you interested in stones in the woods?"

River hesitated for a moment. "Where exactly do you bring them?"

Brother Matthew considered for a moment. "You cannot tell anyone. Not even the abbot," he said softly, almost whispering.

"We promise," River nodded.

Brother Matthew sighed. "We should go somewhere we can't be overheard."

Jack nodded. "Outdoors?"

Matthew hesitated, then nodded. "But not here, on the grounds. We should go into the woods." He smiled. "Again."

...

Once they had reached a quiet part of the woods, River prompted Matthew again to start talking.

"I am helping some refugees," he said. "From Eastern Europe I believe. The husband is some kind of craftsman and he needs a particular quality of stone for his work. I've been supplying him, so he can start a business and they can make a place for themselves here in London."

"That is very good of you," River said. "We were looking for them to help them, too. How many are there?"

He frowned. "You were? How do you know of them?"  
"We... know some of their friends," Ianto said, shrugging at the others. "They were worried."  
"They're a couple, right?" said the Doctor. "Husband and wife?"  
Brother Matthew nodded. "Yes. Just the two of them. They will be happy to know that they have friends here in Britain."

"The problem is that they need to trust us, otherwise we can't help them," Jack said. "We were actually hoping you could talk to them."

"Oh..." Matthew stood in silence for a while, thinking. "I can try talking to them. But they are not a very trusting people."

"We know," River answered. "That is why we need you. Apparently they trust you."

"I have not given them reason to do otherwise," he said. "And I do not wish to change that, as I seem to be the only one they will allow helping them at all."  
The Doctor nodded. "We understand. They may have seen us today. Could you bring them our sincere apologies that we inadvertently stumbled onto their domain?"

"You can also tell them that we know about their history and the Memolapid," River added.

Matthew frowned. "Is that the name of their friend? They have some strange names."

"It is the name of a stone in which they have carved the history of their people. It's very important to them, but it might be in danger," River said, opting for honesty for once.

"Ah, yes. Carved in stone, of course." He smiled. "Like the commandments."  
The Doctor looked about to say something on the matter, but thought better of it.

"Indeed," River smiled. "When is the next time you can meet them?"

"I'm bringing them more stones tomorrow," he said. "I'll talk to them then."

"Thank you very much, Brother," Jack said, warmly shaking his hand.

...

As Brother Matthew walked away, the Doctor turned to the others.  
"Not much we can do until tomorrow, then," he said. "Maybe we should go see if John needs any help."

After making sure Matthew didn't stay to see where they were going, they returned to the Tardis.

"I hope Sherlock didn't make John go crazy as well," Jack said as they entered.

The Doctor frowned. "Let's hope Sherlock hasn't _actually_ gone crazy..."

"He'll be fine," River said, putting a hand on the Doctor's arm.

Jack walked to the room where John was sitting on a chair, watching Sherlock sleep on the bed and looking weary.

"Hello, Captain. Everything alright here?" Jack asked.

John nodded with a sigh. "It's still the same. Now and then he wakes up and starts rambling about stuff I don't understand. Not that that's so different from usual."

Jack chuckled.

"Have you had an interesting day?" John asked, nodding at Ianto as he came in too.

"We've seen the aliens. Or rather, the Doctor saw them," Ianto said. "And we've discovered that Brother Matthew interacts with them daily. He's bringing them a message from us tomorrow, so hopefully River can meet with them soon." He glanced at Sherlock and frowned. "Do you need a break? I could watch him if you need to stretch your legs or anything."  
"The Eight Legs can teleport through time and space..." Sherlock muttered. "More are needed for..."

John stood up and shook Sherlock lightly. "I'd give a lot for some sleep," he answered, looking longingly at the other side of the bed. "It's incredibly tiring to do this all the time."

Sherlock grunted and rolled over.  
Ianto smiled and took Jack's hand, giving it a small squeeze. "We'll watch him if you want," he offered.

John hesitated. "Do you mind if I sleep next to him? I mean, there's just nowhere else to sleep in here, unless on a chair..."

"Oh, I'm sure the Tardis has got more rooms," Jack smiled. "But we don't mind. Just get some rest."

John nodded gratefully and lay down on the bed, next to Sherlock, leaving some space between them.

Sherlock was quiet for some time, before he began muttering about invisible chickens. Ianto glanced at Jack.  
"Should we stop him?" he asked. "Like John did?"

"I think that's best," Jack nodded. "The Doctor told us not to let him get caught up in the information too much." He stood up and shook Sherlock's shoulder.

Sherlock groaned and turned over so he was facing John. His eyelids flickered for a moment and then he was still.

Jack shrugged and sat down next to Ianto. "Too bad. I've always wanted to know more about invisible chickens." He chuckled.

John unconsciously shifted closer to Sherlock, already asleep.

"John..." Sherlock muttered.  
Ianto smiled.

John just sighed in his sleep, laying a hand over one of Sherlock's.

"John Watson," Sherlock murmured. "Susceptible to certain aural stimuli. A particular pitch of the voice will cause an almost immediate state of arousal..."  
Ianto gasped. "Oh my god," he muttered and reached out a hand to shake Sherlock.

"Wait," Jack whispered, looking amused. "This could be fun, and after all it isn't Tardis information."

Ianto glared at him, but didn't touch Sherlock.  
"John Watson has a dominant streak that is most often expressed in possessive tendencies. When he feels thus threatened, his behaviour becomes more aggressive and controlling. This can be used to great effect to achieve..." Sherlock sighed and his eyelids fluttered as the next part became an incoherent mumble.

Jack had to hold back his laughter. "Shame I don't have anything to record this," he whispered to Ianto.

"Don't even think about it," Ianto hissed. "We should not be listening to this. It's private."  
"He is, however, also open to being the more passive partner in certain erotic encounters," Sherlock continued. "A firm and insistent approach will occasionally be successful..." Sherlock mumbled again, the only clear words being "oak" and "table".

John blinked, woken up by Sherlock's talking. "Hmm?" he mumbled.

Sherlock smiled in his sleep. "When John is feeling particularly affectionate he will be inclined to oral stimulation of the penis as well as the..."

John looked alarmed for a moment before he caught on what was happening, then fiercely started shaking Sherlock's shoulder. As soon as Sherlock stopped talking, John's attention was drawn to Jack's snorting. He glared at him.

"Oh, seriously. You're supposed to stop him when he starts talking. Is this what you call watching over him?" He gave both Jack and Ianto an accusing look.

Ianto blushed and looked away.  
Sherlock snuffled and blinked a few times. "John..." he muttered. "Is something wrong?"

"It's not your fault, Sherlock," John said softly. "Go back to sleep... And try to keep quiet."

"It was just too funny to stop him," Jack shrugged, laughing. "Besides, it was better than giving us new information that the Tardis had provided him. This was something he already knew... Very well, it seemed."

John glared. "How long has he been talking like that?"

Ianto cringed. "A couple of minutes. He didn't say much... It was mostly mumbling."

John looked mortified. "_Minutes_?"

"Really, we didn't learn that much," Jack said, still smirking.

Sherlock sighed as he drifted off again. "... world's greatest lover... " he muttered before beginning to snore.

John blushed heavily, looking away from the others.

"Oh, looks like we're missing out on something, Ianto," Jack chuckled.

"Maybe you should just go back to the monastery if you're not keeping watch properly," John mumbled.

Ianto cleared his throat. "I think Jack has some business to attend to elsewhere. I'll keep watch, John. And I promise not to let Sherlock rant. About anything." He shot Jack a very stern look.

"I'll trust you won't," John said, matching Ianto's stern expression before laying down again. "Goodnight."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

When John woke up again, it was early in the morning. Sherlock had been quiet for a long time and Ianto was nodding off on his chair.

"Ianto?" John whispered as soon as he saw the younger man's state. "Go to bed. It's fine, I'll look after him."

Ianto sat up straight. "No... What? I'm fine," he stammered.  
Sherlock grunted and sat up. "What time is it?" he asked, running a hand through his hair and looking around, confused.

"Somewhere in the morning, by the sound of the birds outside," John shrugged. "Really, it's fine, Ianto. Thanks for allowing me some rest."

Ianto nodded and got to his feet, swaying a little as he made his way to the door.  
"What am I doing in bed?" Sherlock asked. "There's so much to be done." He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Teselecta..." he muttered.

"Oh, don't start again," John said wearily, pulling him back on the bed. "I do hope you feel better, but you aren't well. This thing -" he waved around - "the Tardis, has put too much information into your brain, remember? The Doctor has told us not to let you out because more information can make your head crash."

"Oh... right..." Sherlock shook his head, trying to clear it. "Thought it felt pretty full in there." He chuckled weakly.

John smiled. "You'll need to kick some information out of your mind palace. But no one said anything about the input of stuff you already know. Come here." He pulled him close and gently kissed his lips.

Sherlock smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around John, who hummed and stroked Sherlock's neck, deepening the kiss.

Jack cleared his throat from where he stood in the door opening. "Ianto sent me, but I have the impression I'm not really needed here," he smirked. "Still, the Doctor wants to see you, John. Sorry for spoiling the fun."

John sighed in frustration and glared at Jack. "In that case I hope you keep a better eye on Sherlock than last night."

"Oh, I'm willing to keep a _very_ good eye on him, but you won't appreciate that either, I'm afraid," Jack grinned.

"Smug bastard." John shook his head and gave Sherlock another quick kiss. "I'd better go see what the Doctor wants."

Sherlock frowned. "Last night? What happened last night?"

"You started talking and Jack just let you, while the Doctor had explicitly told us to stop you, because you might get lost in your own head," John explained.

"But you weren't talking about aliens," Jack shrugged.

Sherlock looked back and forth between them, confused. "I'm not supposed to talk?" he asked.

"Actually you're not supposed to think too much about the Tardis information, but the only way we can control that is by at least stopping you talking about it," Jack nodded. "It's fine if you talk about anything else."

John pulled up his eyebrows. "Not _anything_ else."

"Did I miss something?" Sherlock hated not being on top of things, but he was clearly missing some information here.

John shook his head. "It's not important. I'm sure Jack will do his job better this time. Oh, and by the way, Jack." He stopped as he walked past the other man and looked up at him. "Make sure Sherlock doesn't leave the room. After all you've heard, you will understand that he'll get bored with only you in here."

...

"No, Ianto," the Doctor said. "I know you want to meet the Lapicomedons, but you are in no condition to go out. You need rest." He turned to look as John entered the control room. "Ah, good to see you," he said. "How is our poor overburdened detective?"

"I think he feels a little better. Muttered a word I didn't understand, but he stopped just as quickly," John smiled. "You wanted to see me?"

The Doctor nodded. "We should be getting ready to go meet Brother Matthew. Hopefully the Lapicomedons will have agreed to see us. If not... We'll have to improvise."

"But why do you need me?" John frowned.

"Brother Matthew isn't all that fond of us. It will help that Jack stays here and you come along," River smiled.

The Doctor nodded. "Jack's special kind of diplomacy has proved to be somewhat of a disadvantage in this situation."

"I can imagine," John smiled. "What do we tell the monks though? They will have noticed that we didn't spend the night in our cells."

"We'll try to stay clear of the abbey. We're meeting Brother Matthew in the woods behind the gardens," the Doctor answered.

"Alright. Off we go then, or is there any chance of having breakfast?" John asked.

Ianto appeared at his side, handing him a bagel and a cup of coffee.

"Thank you. Now go to bed," John smiled.

Ianto grinned and nodded before heading back towards the sleeping quarters.

...

Once John had finished his food, the three of them left the Tardis and went deeper into the woods to meet Matthew.

"Good morning, Brother," John smiled as soon as he saw him.

Matthew smiled. "Good morning, Brother John. I'm glad you could join us today."  
"So?" the Doctor interrupted. "Will they see us?"

"You're so impatient, Brother Doctor," River said. "At least give our brother a moment to say good morning."

"Yes, yes, good morning," the Doctor said, shifting from foot to foot. "Will they?"  
Brother Matthew chuckled. "Indeed they will. They seemed... fascinated by your message about their friend."

"Friend? Ah, the Memolapid. The stone." River frowned.

John looked confused, but decided to ignore what he had missed. "Thank you for bringing the message. Can you lead the way?" he asked Matthew.

"Oh, but your friends already know the way," Brother Matthew teased. Then he smiled and headed down the path. "Follow me."

"Are they dangerous?" John asked softly, walking next to the Doctor as they followed River and Matthew.

"Only if you try to attack them. Or look like a particularly tasty stone," the Doctor answered, glancing around.

John smiled. "I hope I don't. Shouldn't we bring them some stones though? You know, as a gift to get them on our side?"

The Doctor chuckled and Brother Matthew smiled as he handed John a bag half full of stone.

"Oh," John chuckled. "And there I thought I had a clever idea."

"It was clever," River smiled. "We just thought of it earlier."

Brother Matthew turned and headed down the path. "I must admit that it is a relief to be able to talk to someone about this."

"I can imagine," John smiled. "We are glad to help."

The Doctor took River's hand and walked slower than the others to put some distance between them.

River looked up at him with a small smile. "What is it, my love?"

He frowned. "Once we've talked to them, you'll most likely get your stone, right?"

"I do intend to keep it safe once the golem is turned off, yes," River nodded.

"And then you're off again? On some new hunt?"

She shrugged. "I haven't planned that far. The Memolapid is interesting enough to leave some time to study it."

"Perhaps you'd like to... travel with me, while you study it?" He looked down, blushing slightly.

She smiled widely. "I would love to, as long as it can last. But you know how it is. Sooner or later we'll both have our own obligations, and everything still has to happen at the right time."

He smiled too. "I know. So let's steal the moments we can, when we can."

"I'm looking forward to it," River nodded, kissing his cheek.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"In there?" John asked with a frown as they reached the tunnel.

Brother Matthew nodded and made his way down the steep incline easily, disappearing into the tunnel.

"Do we have some... light?" John asked the Doctor, quickly glancing at Matthew's back and hoping he wouldn't get offended by talk of being able, or not, to see.

Brother Matthew stopped. "Forgive me, brothers and sister," he said. "I quite forgot. I'm afraid I haven't brought a candle or torch."  
The Doctor smiled. "No need," he said, and soon the eerie green glow spread again.  
Brother Matthew cocked his head. "That really is a most peculiar sound."

"It's the light device," John answered, following Matthew.

"Oh." The monk turned and continued down the tunnel, walking as steadily as if he were in the halls of the abbey.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," River said as she stumbled over a root and let herself fall back in the Doctor's arms, catching a quick kiss.

John looked back, amused.

The Doctor almost dropped the screwdriver but managed to catch it while giving River a gentle squeeze. Then he helped her to her feet, straightened his bowtie and cleared his throat before moving on. As they weren't going back to the monastery, John was the only one who had still put on the robe, because he didn't have any clean clothes with him on the unexpected journey through time.

As they approached the place where they had been stopped by the boulder the last time, Brother Matthew slowed down a little. Then he called out: "Grobrarr, Karobarr! I've brought the friends I told you about." He turned a corner and stepped into a cave lit by a warm yellow glow, with no visible source.

As John followed and looked up at the two creatures in the cave, he had to keep himself from gasping. They were so tall that their heads almost scraped against the ceiling of the cave, and their skin had the colour of sandstone. Their faces were long, with square jaws, and it was hard to notice a difference between the two of them.

There was a sound like thunder, or rather like a heavy rockslide down from a mountain, and it took a moment before John realised that, in fact, one of the Lapicomedons was speaking.

"Verry well," the alien said to Matthew, letting the 'r' roll through his mouth for more than a second. "Place the stones in the usual location." He waved a long arm, that was partly covered by a grey stone plate, in the direction of a small heap of stones.

The other alien looked directly at John. "The shorrt one has them. Why does it have ourr stones?" Its voice had a more grainy quality, like pebbles rolling down a slope.  
Brother Matthew stepped forward. "This," he said, gesturing in John's direction, "is Brother John. He has helped me carry the stones. And this," he gestured at the others, "is Brother Doctor and Sister River."  
"A female..." said the second alien. "Such unusual furr..."

"And they are looking at us," the first one said. "That means ourr inforrmation so farr was wrrong. They'rre not all blind."

River made a small bow. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names when Brother Matthew was calling."

"I am Grobrarr," the first alien said. "Karobarr is my colleague."

The Doctor stepped forward. "Are you the ones responsible for the stone golem?"  
"Yes. It is ourr serrvant," said Karobarr. "Have you tamperred with it?"  
"It is a danger to the inhabitants of the area and..." he glanced at River, "its visitors."

"A stone golem is neverr a dangerr, unless it is attacked orr it feels that the burrden it prrotects is in dangerr," Grobrarr frowned.

"Yes, well, River's way of introducing herself can be a bit startling," the Doctor muttered.

River smiled. "I was very gentle, I just wanted to have a closer look. I didn't even know that it was a golem before it moved and locked me up."

"Locked you up? How did it lock you up?" Karobarr asked, looking down on River.

"Oh. Didn't you know they can do that?" River asked, surprised. "It was an eleven-dimensional prison in stone. Not the most interesting place to be."

"Then how did you get out?" Grobrarr rumbled.

"I've got the right friends," River smiled. "Speaking of which, we also want to help you, if you help us."

Karobarr laughed. "That was not a prrison. That was the pantrry."  
"I'm sorry," Brother Matthew interjected. "I'm not sure I understand. What prison?"

"Uhm, Sister River got locked up somewhere, by Grobrarr and Karobarr's friend," John explained, having some difficulty pronouncing the two strange names. "She thought it was a

prison, but apparently it was a place that belongs to your two friends, and she hadn't really done anything wrong. I'm not sure I understand it all myself," he added, frowning a little.

"She must have annoyed Golem. She is not a stone," Karobarr said, smiling a little.  
The Doctor snorted and then tried to mask it with a cough.  
"Pantrry is forr food... Not strrangely furrry females..." Karobarr turned to Grobarr. "We must check on Golem. Not worrking prroperrly..."  
The Doctor lost it and just laughed.

River gave him a playfully reprimanding look. "We would appreciate it if you checked the golem," she said.

Grobrarr nodded. "You told us you wanted to help us. What with? We don't need help, the young specimen is prroviding us stones..."

The Doctor cleared his throat again, suddenly turning serious. "It's about the war," he said. "Back home."  
"The warr is no concerrn of ourrs," Karobarr said haughtily. "We arre scientists. We do not concerrn ourrselves with such barrbarrism. That is why we left."

"Yes, but what if it goes wrong?" River asked.

"It would be theirr own fault. The rrequests they made to us were dishonourrable and foolish. We would neverr want to see ourr science used forr such a purrpose," Grobrarr said, his expression turning angry at the thought.

"That is why we chose to leave. We would not let ourr worrk be corrrupted," Karobarr added.

River nodded. "We understand that. Still, other scientists are left on your planet and they might not have intentions as good as yours." She looked at the Doctor.

Karobarr nodded. "Undoubtably. But we arre no longerr parrt of that."

"If ourr kind is unwise enough to purrsue theirr plans, we can only pity them," Grobrarr said earnestly.

The Doctor nodded. "I understand how you feel. The foolishness of war can often lead those watching it to despair. But there are also all the innocents caught in the crossfire of war to consider. And the future generations." His eyes turned vacant for a moment as he was lost in memories.

River took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"But what do you want us to do about that?" Grobrarr asked. "We've come here now, and therre is no way forr us to go back, even if we wanted."

"But what if there was?" The Doctor asked.  
Karobarr frowned. "We have just escaped the warr. What differrence would us going back make?"

"Actually, what we have in mind wouldn't really be going _back_," River said.

"What do you mean?" Grobrarr frowned.

"It would be more like going forward," the Doctor said, smiling a little.  
"Explain yourrself," Karobarr said, beginning to look very annoyed.  
"Yes, please do," Brother Matthew said, sounding almost distressed.

"Er, Brother Matthew, maybe it's better if you come with me," John said. "The refugees might not like to share their personal information with too many people, and I think Brother Doctor and Sister River know them better than we."

"But they are talking about a war." Brother Matthew said. "And a strange creature."

"The war is... far away from here," John said. "You needn't worry about it."

Brother Matthew was about to protest when Karobarr spoke.  
"It is alrright, Brrotherr. You can leave us with these people. They arre safe."

As soon as John and Matthew had left the cave, River started talking. "This man is the Doctor. You may have heard of him. He travels in time and saves species... basically."

"Of courrse we know of the Doctorr," Karobarr said. She turned to face the Doctor directly. "We arre honourred by yourr prresence, but you need not botherr with us. We arre merrely a couple of orrdinarry scientists. We do not need saving."

"But your species does," River said.  
"Ourr species?" Grobrarr asked. "Maybe you mean that otherrs need saving frrom them!"

"No," the Doctor said. "They do have the decency to keep their destruction in the family, so to speak. They will in fact destroy themselves so completely that they will never pose a threat to anyone."

Grobrarr frowned. "Have you seen that, orr is it only a prrediction if nothing changes now?" he asked.

The Doctor sighed. "It is inevitable."  
Karobarr closed her eyes and keened softly.

Grobrarr sighed, a light rumble beneath the sound. "What can we do?"

The Doctor glanced at River. "This is more your area, I think," he said a bit sheepishly.

She sighed. "There's nothing to do about it, like the Doctor said, but we could bring you to the future of your planet and you might make your species live on."

Grobrarr gave Karobarr a questioning look, before turning back to them. "Whateverr do you mean? What change can two of us make?"

"Well, you happen to be of different genders," River shrugged.

"Oh..." Karobarr took a step back. "No. We arre colleagues... Scientists... We do not... rrepopulate..."

Grobrarr looked confused. "Rrepopulate? Howeverr could we..."

River gave him a look that couldn't be misunderstood.

"No way," Grobrarr said, straightening to his full length. "We shall neverr do such a thing."

"Ah..." The Doctor nodded. "I understand. There are professional boundaries to be considered." He winked at River.

"Not just... prrofessional boundarries." Grobrarr pulled a face. "Karobarr is my frriend."

"Just get a little friendlier?" River suggested innocently.

"And think of the work involved with recreating your species. The planning of society and how to help the next generations make the gene pool as diverse as possible," the Doctor added. "You will have a unique chance to make intelligence and high moral standards an integral part of your planet's future."  
Karobarr bent her head for a moment. Then she looked at Grobarr. "That is a good point," she said softly.

Grobrarr looked alarmed. "But... Doctorr, we need to think about this. Give us time and meet us tomorrrow." He shook his head.

The Doctor nodded and turned to River. "Let's give them time to think. And talk."

John smiled as he saw River and the Doctor return. "What did they say?"

"They need some time to discuss our proposal," River answered.

"You can return to our Brothers without me," John said. "I've promised Brother Matthew that I would come along with him to help with his duties, since we have taken so much of his time."

The Doctor took River's hand. "Yes," he said. "We will return to the Tardis. Come along." He began pulling River along the garden wall in the direction the Tardis was parked.  
Brother Matthew frowned and turned towards John. "Tardis?"

"It's, uhm, our camp when we don't sleep indoors. Our order has a good bond with nature and all that," John explained. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I need to bring some paper for transcribing to the room of one of our brothers."

"I can help with that," John smiled, thinking that it was quite lucky that he was still wearing his robe. "Where do I find it?"

Brother Matthew explained the way, showed him where the paper was kept and went off to the kitchen for his other tasks.

...

The corridors were empty when John carried the papers to the cell Matthew had given him directions for. A quick glance at his watch under his robe sleeve told him that it was time for another prayer, although he couldn't remember what this one was called. At least it gave him the chance to walk calmly and admire the view from the monastery.

He was startled when he almost bumped into someone while looking out. "Sorry," he mumbled, quickly getting a better grip on the heavy paper before looking at the young girl in front of him.

The girl smiled at him and put a finger over her lips.

John frowned as he thought of the women around the entrance of the monastery that had flirted with Ianto, but then he noticed that she was also carrying a stack of paper, although hers was already filled with a narrow handwriting.

"Apologies, Brother," she whispered. "I'm not supposed to be here, but I'm a student of Brother Joseph's, and I'm just leaving my work for him."

John nodded and tilted his head in the direction of Joseph's door. "Off you go. Just don't... steal anything."

"Of course not." She pulled a face. "I've often been here, but I only ever leave parts of my manuscript."

"What are you writing about?" John asked as he followed her into the room and put the paper down on the small table.

"Oh..." She looked away. "Just something about the comparison of subtext in Greek drama."

John blinked and stared at her for a moment. "And you're bringing it to Brother Joseph? Our, uhm, German brother?"

She nodded.

"Well, I'm sure your work will become famous. Nice to have met you," John smiled, a little incredulous.

As he walked out of the monastery, he couldn't suppress a chuckle as he thought about how Sherlock would look when he would tell him what had just happened.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"The Ood has two brains. They carry their hindbrain in their hand and are by natural inclination a peaceful people. When they are enslaved by humanity, their hindbrain will be removed to be replaced by a telepathy ball..."

Jack sighed as he looked at Sherlock. "Well, I suppose it had been a while." He walked to Sherlock and lightly tapped his cheek. "Come on, get out of it, Sherlock."

"The Aquarpey are green and have six tentacles by which they move on land as well as in water..."

"Oh, seriously." Jack shook him the way John had done, but Sherlock just kept on rambling random information. "Stop it," Jack said in his most authoritative voice. He could of course try slapping him, like River had found effective, but right now the detective looked so unfocused, that Jack doubted he would be able to defend himself in any way. He was also sinking further into the trance-like state, and Jack didn't want to know what happened if he went just that bit too far. After shaking him fiercely one more time, he just gave Sherlock a desperate look and pressed his lips on the other man's.

Sherlock gasped, as his eyes grew wide and round in surprise. For a long moment he didn't move. Then he squirmed slightly and pushed Jack away. He stood, panting, staring at Jack and then his eyes slid out of focus and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.  
Ianto did not see him fall. Before the two men broke apart he had already turned and run from the room, deeper into the bowels of the Tardis.

Jack just watched Sherlock from a distance for a moment, feeling almost shocked himself, before he remembered to pick the detective up and put him on the bed in his unconscious condition.

After a couple of minutes, Sherlock stirred. He looked around, confused. "Where is John?" he asked.

Jack sat down on the side of the bed. "He'll be back soon. He's gone to see the aliens, with River and the Doctor, remember?"

Sherlock frowned. "No...?"

"Damn. River, big hair, and the Doctor, travelling through time and space? We're in London, 13th century, looking out for Lapicomedons. No?" Jack tried, feeling guilty that he had allowed Sherlock to slip that far.

Sherlock chuckled weakly. "Yes, I remember all that. But not John going off to meet aliens. I thought we were still looking for them."

"No, we found them yesterday. Thanks to Brother Matthew. Do you remember him?"

"The blind monk? Yes. I saw him at the abbey." Sherlock thought for a moment. "He knew about the aliens? Their whereabouts?"

Jack nodded. "He brought them stones, apparently. How does your head feel?"

"My head? My head feels fine. Why? Did I have an accident? A concussion? Is that why I can't remember?" Sherlock got to his feet. "No, that can't be it. No dizziness. No pain."

Jack smiled. "You did have a small accident, but it wasn't so bad. I'm glad you feel better. Shall I ask Ianto to make you a cup of tea?"

Sherlock smiled too. "Tea would be great."

Jack started walking out of the room, but then he stopped and turned. "Should your head feel strange in any way, please call us immediately." He hesitated. "Do you remember what has just happened?"

"Of course. I woke up," Sherlock frowned.

Jack nodded. "Alright. I'll go fix you some tea."

Sherlock looked around for his suit, and though it was somewhat creased, put it on.

...

"Ianto?" Jack called when he didn't see him in the control room.

Ianto was nowhere to be found, but a moment later a perky but ruffled Sherlock appeared.

Jack was frowning. "I can't find Ianto. He isn't the room where he was sleeping earlier. I hope he hasn't wandered off into the Tardis."

Sherlock frowned too. "I'm sure he wouldn't. This is an interesting place... But potentially dangerous, I think."

Jack smiled a little. "Yeah, I'd think so too. Maybe he's gone out for some air. I'll get you some tea myself then, but it won't be as good as Ianto's."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Sherlock said, glancing around. "This place must hold so many secrets," he mused. "I wish..." He trailed off, looking thoughtful.

Jack looked at him, a little alarmed. "Maybe it's better if you go back to your room until the others are back. You never know what could happen here."

Sherlock smiled. "No, it'll be fine. I wouldn't fiddle with anything without the Doctor being here. I promise."

"Right," Jack nodded, somewhat amused, while he started on the tea.

Sherlock walked around, feeling surprisingly full of energy.

...

After a short knock on the Tardis door, John walked in and smiled as he saw Sherlock on his feet. "Hey, feeling better?" he asked as he walked towards him for a quick kiss.

Sherlock returned the kiss, smiling. But then he pulled a way, frowning. "Better than what?" He ran his hand through his hair. "Oh yeah, the accident. Yes. I'm fine."

As Jack brought him the cup of tea, he looked a little startled when he saw John. "Oh. If I had known you would return, I'd have made you one too."

"Where are the others?" John asked.

"No idea. Didn't you meet Ianto outside?" Jack asked.

John shook his head. "I thought the Doctor and River would have been back almost an hour ago."

Sherlock looked back and forth between them, clearly confused. "What's going on here?" he asked. "Why is everyone splitting up?"

"I was helping Matthew," John answered. "You won't believe..."

At that moment the door opened again and River and the Doctor almost fell over the threshold, holding hands and laughing.

"Oh, you're back already," River said as she saw John.

"We... took a little stroll through the woods," the Doctor explained, straightening his bowtie.  
Sherlock chuckled. "So I see."  
The Doctor's eyes widened when he noticed Sherlock. "You're on your feet. Splendid." He let go of River's hand and strode over to Sherlock, taking his head between his hands and looking intently into his eyes. "All better, I see. Almost a complete wipe." He smiled, then frowned. "That usually takes some kind of intense emotional stimulus..." He looked over at John. "What happened?"

"Nothing..." John frowned and looked at Jack.

"I'll make some more tea for everyone," Jack said cheerily, quickly turning.

"Don't you remember anything? An intense emotion?" River asked Sherlock.

Sherlock closed his eyes, thinking. "I remember the Doctor leaving me here, to study the Lapicomedons. And then feeling excited. Elated even. And then I woke up with Jack sitting by my bed..."

"I was watching over you, like John had asked me to," Jack said, pouring tea.

"Only the way I had asked, I hope," John mumbled.

Ianto hesitated in the door to the control room, watching the scene for a moment. Then he stepped forward. "Jack took good care of Sherlock," he said, avoiding John's eyes. "Didn't you, Jack?"

"Yes, I think I did," Jack nodded. "After all he's better now." For a moment he looked confused as he saw Ianto's face.

"Right..." the Doctor said, looking around at all of them. "Sherlock's fine, Jack did a good job, we found the Lapicomedons and they'll think about letting me bring them home to restart their race. Everything is fine."

John gave Jack a thoughtful look, before laying an arm around Sherlock's waist and turning to the Doctor. "What went wrong with them, actually? I've caught some stuff about a war, but did it wipe them out completely?"

"At this moment the war is still in its early stages. But in a couple of centuries, their scientists will have found a way to deprive the enemy of their basic food source. The logic behind this tactic is that it will weaken them so much, they will have to cease fighting." He sighed. "It will of course go horribly wrong."

"They sent a chemical corrosive around, carrying bacteria that could penetrate the stone as soon as the chemical touched it. But they hadn't thought that the infection would spread further than the initially infected stones," River explained. "The effect eventually reached the whole Lapicomedon population. Either they ate the stones and got deadly ill, or they starved trying to avoid their only nutrition source."

"In less than a millennium from now, the species will have become extinct." The Doctor looked down for a moment. Then he looked up again, smiling. "Unless we give them a little hand. The bacteria will eventually die out too and the planet's geology will restore itself. And thus the planet becomes habitable again. There are no records of Lapicomedons on earth, so removing these two will cause no changes. And in time, they could contribute so much good to the world. Their technology and philosophy is really very unique."

"Sounds like a good plan," Jack smiled. "Let's just hope the next generations don't start new wars."

"We can hope that Karobarr and Grobrarr will pass on their love of peace and knowledge to their children," the Doctor said, smiling.

"Yet, they still have to decide whether they want to go back," River said. "That means we're stuck here for another day."

Sherlock smiled. "Well, that's not all bad, is it? I would love to explore some more. This is such a fascinating place." He laughed. "Or rather time."  
The Doctor shook his head. "Oh no, my dear detective. You are staying in here. Your mind may have been cleared, but we can't risk putting too much new information in there just yet."

"I can tell you about what we've seen," John said, taking Sherlock's hand. "Unless that is dangerous too?" He looked at the Doctor.

"Just go slowly," the Doctor said. "And watch his eyes. If he starts seeming to eager, stop at once. Take a break. Distract him."

John grinned. "I guess that won't be a problem." He turned and dragged Sherlock along to their room.

Ianto stepped closer to Jack and muttered. "It's nice to see Sherlock feeling better."

"Yes, it is," Jack nodded, but as he looked at Ianto, the strange expression was back. "Is something wrong?"

Ianto shook his head. "Of course not. You took very good care of Sherlock. I'm sure he is grateful. As is John." He looked down, pretending to study the console.

"Yeah." The smug look didn't quite reach Jack's eyes.

Ianto sighed a little. "It must be great for you," he said. "Travelling with the Doctor again and all."

"It is," Jack smiled. "Although we've had more exciting encounters in the past - well, the future, from here."

"Yes, it all gets a little... wibbly wobbly." Ianto chuckled a little. "But I'm sure this encouter was... exciting enough for you."

"And we've got time to make it even more exciting," Jack said, taking Ianto's elbow and leaning towards him.

"I'm sure we do," Ianto said, turning away abruptly and walking towards the door. "I need some air."

Jack frowned. "Ianto?"

Ianto ignored him as he left the Tardis.  
The Doctor looked after him, then turned to Jack. "What have you done this time?

"Nothing..." Jack said, looking at the door, wondering if he should go after Ianto. "I mean, he can't possibly know, he was sleeping..."

The Doctor frowned. "Know what?"

Jack looked around to be sure that Sherlock and John had left the control room before he answered. "I accidentally kissed Sherlock. I mean, you've seen him, it was a _nice _accident - but I didn't intend to. He just wouldn't shut up and he was getting lost in his head... It was the only thing I could think of."

"Of course it was," River smirked.

"Medically it was a very wise thing to do," the Doctor said. "It clearly was the main reason for his quick recovery. But I think you may have to accept that young Ianto knows about it. And that it bothers him."

"I don't understand why," Jack shrugged. "It's not like it's the first time he's seen me kiss someone."

The Doctor shrugged, a little helplessly and turned to River. "You understand these things, right? Human emotions?"

She chuckled. "I'm a psychopath, sweetie. Not exactly the greatest reference."

The Doctor sighed. "I guess you're on your own, Jack, in finding out why this is different."

"I guess I'd better leave him alone for a while. Maybe he'll start talking about it," Jack said, looking doubtful.

"You know him best," the Doctor said, nodding. "If that is usually the best approach, then you should stick to it."

...

In Sherlock's room, John had almost finished telling about meeting the aliens, sitting next to Sherlock on the bed. "I missed the next part of their negotiations because it was getting a bit too much for Matthew with the Golem and everything, so we waited outside the cave, and I suggested that I could help him with getting paper to Brother Joseph's cell... You won't- Sherlock?"

Sherlock nodded eagerly leaning forward. "Go on," he said, his eyes gleaming. Tell me more. More..."

John shook him. "Hey. Come back, you were doing fine."

Sherlock nodded. "Yes... Fine... More..."

John sighed and shook his head. "That's all the information you're getting. Here..." He pulled Sherlock closer and kissed him.

Sherlock struggled for a moment, wanting to ask more questions. But then he surrendered and wrapped his arms around John, kissing him eagerly.

John hummed and tangled his hands in Sherlock's hair, soon carried away in the kiss.

Suddenly Sherlock pulled away, staring at John. "You..." he gasped. "You were taller..."

John frowned. "_What_?"

"I ... there was a kiss... like this, but not like this. Only... you were taller?" Sherlock shook his head in confusion. "Maybe it was a dream."

"You dream about me being taller?"

Sherlock frowned. "Yes. No. I don't know. It was strange. I was talking... Like now. And you shook me. Like now. And then you kissed me. Only you were... taller. And different."

John gave him a studying look. "It must have been a dream..."

Sherlock nodded. "It must have. But it's weird. It's like I dreamt of this before it happened. Only... different." He chuckled. "Now where were we?" He leaned forward and kissed John.

John pulled back slightly, a serious expression on his face. "Was... Jack around, when you had that dream?"

"How should I know? It was a dream. I was asleep." Sherlock kissed him again. "It was a nice dream."

"Alright..." John sighed. "Sorry, I'm just worried about you. Probably it was nothing." He gave him a gentle peck on the lips and stood up.

"What?" Sherlock asked. "Weren't you supposed to be distracting me?"

"Yes, but..." John hesitated. "Maybe I should ask those who were looking after you, when I wasn't here, if anything strange happened. Just to know if you're alright."

"I'm fine." Sherlock got to his feet. "We're finally alone... Can't it wait?"

John licked his lips, clearly torn between staying and making sure Sherlock was fine. "Your health is more important, Sherlock," he decided with a sigh, before leaving the room.

Sherlock sighed too and lay down on the bed.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Ianto, can I ask you something?" John said as he walked into the control room. "Oh," he said, when he only saw that only Jack was there.

"Ianto's gone out. He needed some air," Jack said, twiddling with something on the panel. "Shouldn't you be with Sherlock?"

"Yes, but... There's something I need to check, about his, you know, the state of his mind."

Jack shrugged. "You can always hope Ianto hasn't wandered off too far into the woods. Don't get lost, though."

"I think I'll find my way." John walked out and started looking for Ianto, who was pacing the ground not too far from the Tardis.

He looked up as he heard John approaching. "Oh," he said, his shoulders sagging a little. "It's you."

"Oh, sorry, were you expecting to meet Jack here?" John asked. He frowned as he saw Ianto's face. "Are you okay?"

Ianto nodded and forced a smile. "No... Yes... I just needed some air."

"You know you can talk to me, right? If Jack is giving you a hard time again..." John cleared his throat. "Actually I wanted to ask you about Sherlock. He was acting a little strange, a moment ago. I was wondering if anything happened while I was gone, you know, with the mind thing... I just want to be careful."

Ianto shook his head. "No," he said. "No. Nothing happened."

"Alright." John smiled. "There's probably no reason to fret about it like I'm doing. It must have been a dream he had."

"Yes," Ianto said. "It must have been. Jack would never... take advantage..." He frowned slightly.

"Take advantage?" John stared at him. "How do you know... What do you mean?"

Ianto shrugged. "As you said. It must have been a dream." He walked past John, back towards the Tardis.

"Did Sherlock tell you about it?" John frowned, walking after him.

Ianto didn't look back at him as he answered. "I haven't talked to Sherlock."

John didn't know what to think as he followed the younger man into the Tardis.

Ianto paused in the door when he saw Jack. Then he shrugged and walked past him towards the sleeping quarters. Jack wanted to follow him, but John stopped him.

"Wait," he said. "I don't understand what is happening here. Did something happen between you and Sherlock?"

Jack gave him an earnest look. "I watched over him and stopped him when he was talking about time and space. So yeah, that happened."

"But he's... He was talking about a kiss, and Ianto acts all upset..."

Jack smiled. "Well. Your boyfriend is a good kisser. I don't know what everyone is so shocked about. It was the only way to make him shut up. Pretty effective, I must say. He fainted almost right away."

John stared at him. "No. You didn't."

"I did," Jack shrugged.

"Does it mean nothing to you?" John asked incredulously. "We are together. In a relationship. Do you even know what that means?"

"Yes, I think so," Jack answered calmly.

"God, now I know what Ianto meant with taking advantage... If Sherlock wasn't even conscious..."

"He was, sort of. He was clearly responding. I'm a pretty good kisser too," Jack said with a small smile.

John narrowed his eyes.

"Not that that was the point. Like I said, I didn't even intend to do this. But he didn't shut up," Jack said.

"You could have shaken him. Or slapped. The latter always worked," John said.

"Maybe I've got a problem with hitting a defenceless man. He was conscious, but in that state he wouldn't have reacted to a punch. That's not my style." Jack's expression had grown serious again.

"But kissing someone else's boyfriend is your style?" The corners of John's mouth pulled down in mock admiration. "Great style, really."

"So you prefer your boyfriend being beaten up rather than kissed? Maybe you should question your own values." Jack raised his eyebrows.

John inhaled sharply. "You're the last person in the world who should talk to me about _values_. You hurt everyone around you and you just don't care, because _oh_, you're Captain Jack Harkness, you're better than everyone and _the things you've seen_! Well, I couldn't be less impressed."

"Maybe you noticed that I never tried to make an impression on you," Jack spat.

"Oh no, Harkness isn't flirting with me! I'm so offended." John rolled his eyes, then turned and stormed into Sherlock's room. "And you!" he started.

Sherlock looked up, startled. "What?"

"_Taller_ is what you wanted, right? But you forgot to mention arrogant, insufferable and American!" John was breathing hard.

"I never said I wanted..." Sherlock gasped. "No..." he said. "I didn't... He didn't..."

John put his hands in his sides. "Apparently you both bloody well did."

Sherlock shook his head. "Don't you think I would know if we did?"

"Apparently you _fainted_ right afterwards. You can imagine how smug that makes Jack." John rolled his eyes.

"I didn't kiss Jack," Sherlock insisted. "And he didn't kiss me. It was a dream, that's all."

"Jack told me something else. And you should have seen Ianto."

"Ianto? Are you claiming I kissed him too?" Sherlock huffed and got to his feet. "Really, John... Aren't you taking your paranoia a bit too far this time?"

"Oh, seriously, now I've done it. Of course you haven't kissed Ianto. It's clear enough that you're not interested in him like you are in _Jack_. But Ianto's reaction tells me enough. He must have seen it happen." John shook his head.

"Seen what exactly? Jack and I snogging? Going at each other in your absence?" Sherlock sighed dramatically. "I thought you knew me better than that." He stormed out of the room.

"So did I," John said quietly, sitting down on the bed with a sigh and resting his head in his hands, trying to calm himself down.

...

Sherlock roamed through the empty corridors, cursing under his breath until he suddenly found himself face to face with Ianto. He hesitated for a moment, seeing the panic and pain in the other man's eyes. Then he stepped close to him. Too close.  
"What have you been telling John?" he snarled. "Why are you spreading lies about me?"  
"I... What?" Ianto stammered. "I haven't said anything... About anything..."  
Sherlock huffed and pushed past him.

"It wasn't a lie, Sherlock," Jack said as he stepped out of the shadows as soon as Ianto was gone.

Sherlock snarled at him. "You..." he spat. "You utter bastard. What did you do?"

"Stop you from going mad," Jack sighed. "You're welcome..."

"And, very conveniently, the only way to do that was doing the one thing that would finally tear John away from me? You have been planning this all along, haven't you? Just waiting for an opportunity."

Jack sighed. "No, I haven't. I didn't want to do this. But if Ianto hadn't seen it, it wouldn't have led to this either."

Sherlock glared. "No. I suppose I'm giving you too much credit, planning this. But don't try telling me you're not enjoying it. John told me just how smug you were when you told him. Enjoying breaking us apart, are you?"

"I enjoyed kissing you. I'm absolutely not enjoying what it's doing to you and how everyone is shouting at me right now. It's not all my fault, you know." Jack was getting angry again.

"Oh... The fun had consequences? Not used to that, are you?" Sherlock scoffed. "Poor baby."

"I don't know what you think about me and I don't care, but you're wrong in this. Just make it right with John and stop acting like this." Jack turned around and walked away.

Sherlock watched him leave, then turned and hurried down the corridor, not really caring where he was going.

Jack entered a random room where he would be alone, without people shouting at him or giving him disappointed looks.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"There you go," River smiled as she finished tying the Doctor's bowtie, reaching up for another quick kiss.

He smiled at her. "Do you think they noticed we snuck off?"

She shrugged. "Probably. It's not like they wouldn't do such a thing."

"No. They do seem to be rather... active." The Doctor grinned and held his arm out to her. "Shall we?"

As they walked to the control room, it struck them how quiet the corridors were. "Do you think they all went to sleep?" River asked the Doctor. "It seems rather early..."

The Doctor frowned. "Maybe they've snuck off too."

"I wouldn't be surprised," River chuckled.

"Oh, look," the Doctor said as they entered the room. "Someone is out and about."

John was staring at the control panel, considering whether he should go out for some air.

"Hello. Where are the others?" River asked.

"Oh, hey." John tried to smile at her. "I don't know. I don't even know if I want to know."

The Doctor frowned. "What's wrong?"

John shrugged. "Basically, Jack is."

"Ah, yes... Jack." The Doctor sighed. "He is a troublesome creature, isn't he?"

"Does he always do this? Hurt people on purpose and try to ruin their relationships?" John asked.

"Never. He just... He is very open about what he wants and tends to go for it without thinking things through. He means no harm. He just doesn't grasp the concept of fidelity very well."

John sighed. "No... And neither does Sherlock, apparently. I really wish you two had come right back to the Tardis to keep an eye on him."

River frowned. "Jack told us that he only kissed Sherlock to keep the Tardis from taking over his mind."

"Yes, but he would say that, wouldn't he? I don't know what to think." John bit his lip. "I think I'm going out for a while."

The Doctor nodded. "Do that. And think of this: you know that Jack is capable of such a thing. But is Sherlock, really? Does he have that in him?"

John shrugged. "I suppose not, but..." He sighed.

The Doctor smiled. "Then believe in him."

River watched John leave and then sighed. "All that for one kiss..."

"Such silly boys," the Doctor said, shaking his head.

...

John had a long walk through the woods, and when he headed back to the Tardis, he felt a little better. The Doctor was right; he and Sherlock had always laughed at Jack's attempts to get to him and it had led to some nice situations afterwards, but Sherlock had never shown any interest to follow up Jack's advances. Probably he really hadn't remembered what had happened. Maybe he had really thought he was kissing John. There was no way to know for sure, but at least John could talk to Sherlock rather than have them both feel miserable while probably there was no reason. Besides, it wasn't fair to make Sherlock confused at a time when his mind was rather fragile after its dealings with the Tardis. With a small apologetic smile on his face, John entered the control room.

...

Sherlock had been on edge since his conversation with John. And his run-in with Jack hadn't exactly helped matters. He had been wandering through the Tardis, glaring at the rooms and objects he would otherwise have found interesting. He couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't remember anything. Not his mysterious accident or illness or whatever it was. And certainly not kissing Jack. He didn't know if he was more furious with Jack for doing it, or with John for thinking that it was something Sherlock had actually wanted.  
If he could find either of them, he'd give them a piece of his mind. But instead he ran into Ianto, who was sitting on the floor of the control room, leaning against a railing and dangling his legs forlornly. Here was another innocent victim of these hateful events. For a moment he felt more sorry for Ianto than himself. But then the young man looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of pain and anger that could only mean one thing: he blamed Sherlock for the kiss too.  
Sherlock bristled. "I'm so sorry," he snarled. "But you of all people must know how 'irresistible' that man of yours is. You must have been expecting this, right? Ever since we first came to Cardiff. I mean, not even Sherlock Holmes can resist the charms of Captain Jack Harkness forever, right?"

John cleared his throat and closed the door behind him. "So now I finally hear what you really think."

Sherlock whirled around and gaped at him. "John, I... I didn't mean... I didn't know you were..." he sighed and looked down, knowing from the look in John's eyes that it was hopeless, "here..."

"Yes, because apparently you would never be so honest in that case." John gave him an ice-cold look and crossed the control room to get away from him.

Sherlock closed his eyes and just stood for a moment. "Shit," he muttered.  
Ianto sighed. "For what it's worth, I believe you. I saw how you were, while affected by the Tardis data. You... weren't really there. I just can't believe that Jack would do such a thing. I mean... he... violated you... Sort of."

...

John had to keep himself from throwing the strange objects on the nightstand through the bedroom. He had been ready to talk to Sherlock, to forget it all and go back to normal, and then there was a full confession from Sherlock. Had they come so far, only for Sherlock to find out that he was more attracted to Jack than to him? And even then, couldn't he just have talked about it? Maybe they could even have worked something out. But this, with Sherlock so obviously trying to keep his real thoughts hidden from John so he could have everything... He couldn't bear to finish the thought what it would do to their relationship.

...

Sherlock walked the corridors again, more or less circling his and John's room. He was exhausted and he just wanted to curl up, preferably next to John, sleep and forget the whole thing. But he doubted he would be welcome. On the other hand he couldn't just stay away. They had to talk sometime. He had to make John understand that he hadn't meant those things he had said. That he had been angry and frustrated.  
The fifth time he passed their door, he stopped. He was practically keeling over from fatigue. If John was asleep, maybe he could sneak into the bed. He had to get some sleep. Careful, so he wouldn't wake John, he opened the door slowly.

John looked up sharply as the door started moving. He had been sitting on the bed, still dressed, staring into nothing as he was thinking the whole situation over and over.

"Oh, coming to get your stuff?" he asked when he saw it was Sherlock. "No need to be sneaky. I had expected you would want to spend the night with Captain Sexy."

Sherlock stopped, looking crestfallen. "I wasn't going to..." He sighed. "Never mind." He went over to the bed, got one of the pillows and turned to leave.

For a moment John stared at Sherlock's back in despair, not knowing whether he should say something, get angry again or just leave it be. He ended up on a weak: "So you're really going to him."

Sherlock shook his head. "No. I'm going to find a room to myself. I need to sleep."

"You need to sleep? Gee, if _I_ tell you that, it's never true... But of course, you'll be worn out after Jack's attentions." John looked away.

Sherlock snapped. "Is that really what you think of me? You turn your back for two minutes and I jump the first horny bastard who comes along? That all it took was one kiss while I was weak and confused, a kiss I can barely remember, let alone _who_ kissed me, and I'm ready to betray you? To leave you? I thought we had something real. Something strong. I guess I was wrong." He turned on his heel and stormed from the room.

John stared in shock at the place where Sherlock had just disappeared. Then he closed his eyes and sagged on the bed, trying to blink away his tears.

Sherlock found an empty room with a couple of bunk beds. He settled on the lower bunk and was almost instantly asleep, his furrowed brow only slowly relaxing.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

In the morning, Jack was the first awake. He was just pouring himself a cup of tea in the control room, when he heard voices approach. "Good morning," he said, turning around and smiling at River and the Doctor, his face falling just a little as he saw Ianto was with them. He turned back to his tea.

Ianto sighed and looked at the floor as he walked over to get a cup. The Doctor looked back and forth between them, shook his head and muttered something.

Jack quickly stepped aside to let Ianto reach the tea, then picked up his own cup and walked out of the room, giving River a short nod as he passed.

River shrugged at the Doctor, then turned to Ianto. "Would you like to join us when we go back to the aliens? Maybe it can help to get your mind off... all this."

Ianto smiled a little. "Yeah. Thanks."  
Sherlock walked in, his hair a ruffled mess, his eyes puffy and red. "Aliens?" he said. "Can I meet them too?"

River smiled at him. "How does your head feel?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Hollow," he said.

River looked at the Doctor. "I think it can't do any harm if he comes along. If John told him everything about the aliens, it won't be that much new information."

The Doctor nodded. "I think a change of scenery would do him good right now. Considering... everything."  
Sherlock frowned and looked away.

...

The four of them had breakfast, and afterwards River scribbled down a note for when Jack or John would show up again - hoping they wouldn't do so at the same time.

The Doctor smiled at Sherlock as they exited the Tardis. "Met many aliens before?" he inquired.  
"A few," Sherlock answered, grinning a little. "They tried to kill me."  
"Oh," Ianto laughed. "That's right. They nearly cut your skull open."

"I don't think these two will want to do that, though," River smiled.

"I hope not. My brain is not too pretty these days." He winked at Ianto, who snorted.

River looked amused, glad that the two men were unwinding a little. Once they reached the cave, she made sure that Sherlock could walk right behind the Doctor, who was of course still using the sonic screwdriver as a torch, so the detective would have a little more time to observe the Lapicomedons before they started talking.

...

"Welcome back," Grobrarr said as they entered. He was putting stones in a large bag.

Sherlock stood completely frozen for a moment, then stepped forward. "Amazing," he muttered.

Grobrarr looked down on him. "Is this anotherr one? Wherre is the small one with lighterr furr?"

"He is back at our ship, waiting for us," River said quickly. "Did you make a decision?"

Karobarr nodded. "The surrvival of ourr species is morre imporrtant than ourr perrsonal prride. The task of rrecrreating ourr people in a morre peaceful and perrhaps wise forrm is indeed a noble task worrth a few sacrrifices."

"Karobarr even told me I don't have to brring herr the usual stone gifts to be allowed to sharre herr bed," Grobrarr said smugly.

Karobarr glared at him. "Gee, thanks... Make me out to be some cheap tarrt..."  
Ianto snorted, but tried to hide it by clearing his throat. Sherlock raised an eyebrow, smiling a little.

"I didn't mean it like that," Grobrarr said, looking at his large feet, but still a little smug.

"Can you come along right away, or is there something you still have to do here?" River asked with a smile.

"We can come. We have alrready told the boy that brrought ourr stones that his serrvices arre no longerr needed because we arre going with you," Grobrarr said.

"I wonderr why you'rre in such a hurrry to get home all of a sudden," Karobarr said wryly. "But you'rre forrgetting Golem." She turned to the others. "We'rre not brringing it with us. We suspect that one of the factorrs in the downfall of ourr species werre that we had become too complacent. Too rreliant on technology. So we'rre going back to basics, so to speak. But we cannot leave it herre. Too grreat a risk that he will storre otherr locals in the pantrry."  
Ianto looked at Sherlock and whispered: "What pantry?"  
Sherlock shrugged. But then he noticed the miffed expression on River's face and snorted. "I suspect it's some sort of eleven-dimensioned storage space."  
"Corrrect, human," Karobarr said. "You worrked that out with verry little inforrmation. I did not think yourr species capable of such deductions."  
The Doctor laughed. "Well, Sherlock is a bit of a special case."

"Do you need us to take care of the Golem? Or is there a way to simply turn it off?" River asked.

"Oh, we just shut down the magma corre. In a yearr or two it will be indistinguishable frrom the local stones." Karobarr glanced at Grobrarr. "Arre you done yet? How larrge a lunch do you need?"

"Yes, I'm rready," Grobrarr said, slinging the heavy bag over his shoulder and almost knocking Sherlock down as he did so. "Oops, sorrry."

"No problem," Sherlock said, slightly winded by the shock of having a large sack of stones swung at his head.  
The Doctor checked his watch. "The monks are praying," he said. "So there's little risk of us being seen. We should get moving."

River looked at the aliens, then frowned at the tunnel. "Can you get through there?" she asked.

"Oh, we made a doorr on the back of the cave. Just follow me," Grobrarr said.

They all followed the Lapicomedons out the backdoor. Sherlock noted how they somehow seemed much more alien amongst the rich foliage and bright sunlight, than they had done in the artificially lit stone grotto.

They also appeared ill at ease with all the plant-life and walked close together, glancing around nervously.

"The plants won't attack you," River said reassuringly. "They are... friendly."

"Don't you have plants on your planet?" Ianto asked. "What's it called, by the way?"  
"It has no name," Karobarr said, frowning slightly. "And no plants or... animals. It is a verry beautiful place. It is Home."

"And why would we give ourr Home a name? It would be wrrong," Grobrarr frowned. "We don't have the rright."

"We just find it easy to call things by their name," River smiled. "We don't mean to insult you."

"How quaint," Karobarr said with an expression that Sherlock supposed would classify as a smirk.

"And yet you still have names yourselves, even for your species," River answered with a small smirk of her own.

"We name ourrselves of courrse," Karobarr said, a little haughtily. "We arre living beings. Individuals and grroups. We arre not 'things'."

"Neither is a planet, in my opinion," River shrugged.

"Then we agrree on that," Grobrarr said, "though we exprress this opinion in differrent ways."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

When they reached the Tardis, Ianto looked back and forth between the tall aliens and the police box that suddenly looked quite small. "Can they get through the door?" he asked the Doctor.  
"Don't worrry," Karobarr said. "We arre quite flexible." With a creaking, scraping sound, she bent slowly at the waist until she could duck through the door which Sherlock held open for her.

Grobrarr followed, but seemed a little more relieved when he could unfold again on the other side. He looked around curiously.

"Interresting dimensions," Karobarr commented.

"Uhm, hi," John said. He had been making himself a sandwich and gave the aliens a small smile, avoiding Sherlock's gaze.

"Arrh, little polite human," Karobarr said, walking towards him. "Good to see you again."  
Sherlock watched John for a moment, then walked around the edge of the room to get to the door that led to the sleeping quarters.  
The Doctor was the last to enter the Tardis. He closed the door and then skipped to the controls. "Dorset, right?" he asked, beaming at the others as he began pulling levers and flicking switches.

"Yes, please, sweetie," River answered.

"Yes... Sweetie..." Karobarr said. "That is wherre we need to go firrst."

River gave the Doctor an amused grin and helped with a few levers to make the landing a little softer.

"I thought we were bringing them to their planet. What are we doing in Dorset?" John asked.

"We need to turrn off Golem," Karobarr anwered, studying the controls and the Doctor's manoeuvring with great interest.  
Ianto approached John. "Where is Jack?" he asked softly. "Have you spoken to him?"

John shook his head and shrugged. "Haven't seen him... Fortunately."

Ianto nodded. "He really outdid himself this time, didn't he?"

John quietly looked in the direction where Sherlock had disappeared. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it right now."

"Dorset!" River announced before the Doctor had the chance.

"River..." the Doctor said, exasperated.

"What?" she asked innocently, walking to the door.

"_I_ announce arrivals. My Tardis, remember?" he muttered, following her.

"But _I_ landed it properly," River said.

"Are we in the same century?" John asked, looking a little confused.

Grobrarr was already looking a little desperately at the small door opening.

The Doctor nodded. "Same day, five minutes later."  
"You can do it," Karobarr teased, patting Grobrarr's back as she passed him and bent down to get through the door.

Grobrarr sighed and followed her with a grunt. Once he felt stone under his feet, his gait became more confident.

Karobarr looked around the quarry. Then she opened her mouth and let out a deep rumbling sound that seemed to make the air tremble.  
The Doctor squirmed. "That tickles," he whispered to River.

River smirked. "Good to know..."

"Ah, ourr Golem is on its way," Grobrarr remarked.

The ground shook and a sound not unlike thunder reached them. Then the Golem came into sight. It looked like a shorter, stockier version of its creators, as it moved towards them, carefully picking its way amongst the scattered boulders and rocks. It had no actual face. Its 'head' was completely round and seemed able to rotate any way on its short wide neck, like a ballbearing. Its hands had no digits but were shaped rather like sledgehammers. It appeared to be carved out of solid but oddly flexible rock.  
Ianto gasped. "Oh my god," he muttered and looked at River. "You went up against that thing?"

"Oh, there wasn't a fight or anything," River said. "I just accidentally touched it and the next thing I knew was being locked up."

"I certainly wouldn't want to get involved in a fight with that thing," John said, his eyes wide.

"The Golem is verry peaceful," Grobrarr said, walking towards the creature and placing a hand on its shoulder.

Karobarr went around to the other side. The moment she touched it too, it stopped moving. A creaking sound came from its torso and then the limbs detached themselves from the body, which crashed to the ground. The head rolled away.  
Once the dust had settled, Sherlock approached cautiously. He studied the body on the ground. "It's solid," he said incredulously. "There is no machinery."  
"Of courrse not," Karobarr said as she picked up the head. "Why would we need something so crrude? It was constrructed frrom a perrfect mix of flint, grranite and kimberrlite, with a magma corre."  
"Mix? You can't mix those," Sherlock said, frowning.

Grobrarr gave him a rather derogatory look. "We arre Lapicomedons. Therre is nothing easierr to us. Maybe one day you will have the rright technology." He turned to the Doctor and River. "Do we have time forr a bite? The stone herre rreally is parrticularrly tasty..."

"Sure," River said immediately, with a smile. "Why don't you go and find the perfect stone? We will wait for you, you can just go somewhere so you don't have to be watched by all of us while you eat."

Grobrarr nodded gratefully and walked off.

"I betterr keep an eye on him. The fool is likely to gorrge himself until he cannot move," Karobarr muttered as she followed him.

River amusedly watched them go, then turned to the broken Golem. "Let's see if it's really turned off," she said, placing her hand on its shoulder.

All the others tensed for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened.

"Oh, you guys are so easily scared," River laughed as she shoved a stone plate, that had looked like the Golem's shoulder blade, out of place. Then she turned it and looked at it. "Ah, finally. The Memolapid. Doctor, I'm sure you have a nice place for it in the Tardis, where our guests won't notice that I've taken it?"

"Under our bed?" the Doctor suggested, then blushed slightly.

"Good idea," River smiled.

"Wait, are you just stealing that?" John asked.

"They left it," River shrugged. "And I think it's more use to me than to them."

"I believe I've heard almost those exact words from a car thief once," Sherlock mused.  
Ianto frowned at River. "You could ask them."

"And risk that they say no?" She looked amused. "You aren't going to blab, are you?"

Ianto shrugged. "I suppose it's not that different from what I do for a living."

River smiled and started walking back to the Tardis. "I'll go and hide it, before they get back from their meal."

As River entered the Tardis, she almost bumped into Jack. "Where are we?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Dorset. The Lapicomedons still had to make sure that their Golem wouldn't imprison anyone else, before we could bring them to their home planet," River answered.

"Ah. Great to know that I wouldn't have been left behind if I had gone for a stroll outside..." Jack frowned and walked past her to join the others.

"Ah, Jack. Good to see you," the Doctor said, smiling.  
Everyone else pretended not to notice his arrival.

Jack quickly glanced at Ianto before he nodded at the Doctor. "What are we doing?"

"Waiting for Grobrarr to finish his snack," the Doctor said, glancing in the direction where loud crunching noises could be heard.  
Sherlock was crouching by the Golem, trying to learn anything from its remains, but they really appeared to be nothing but solid rock.

After a while, the crunching noises stopped. "Alrright, alrright," Grobrarr said to Karobarr, as he walked back to the humans and Timelord. "Who is in a hurrry now?"

"I'm not in a hurrry," she snapped. "But I know you. If I let you carrry on like that, you'll be digesting forr a month, and then I'll be the one doing all the worrk making the place habitable again."

Grobrarr sighed. "A whole planet and only herr forr company. I'm not surre ourr species will actually live on," he said with a sour face.

Jack smirked at him. "Ready to return?"

Karobarr sighed. "Ready as I'll everr be..."

Grobrarr nodded gloomily.

"Not exactly the most romantic couple I've ever seen," Jack said with a smirk to the Doctor.

"Yes, you are quite the expert on romance, aren't you?" the Doctor asked with a meaningful look at him. Then he called out to the others. "Okay, guys, we're leaving." He followed the two aliens to the Tardis and waited patiently as they made their way through the door.

River had just returned to the control room. "I hope you had a nice meal," she said to Karobarr.

"He did," she answered. "I only eat when I need sustenance."

John smiled, but quickly suppressed it when he met Sherlock's gaze and looked away.

"Right. Next stop, your planet," River said, turning to the control panel.

"Yes, indeed," the Doctor said, hurrying to her side and quickly pulling the lever in front of her, discreetly pushing her aside with his shoulder.

Jack quickly grabbed the railing as they moved too fast at once. "Maybe you should let the lady drive it, Doctor."

"Not you too, Jack," the Doctor muttered.  
Karobarr stumbled too and grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be Grobrarr's arm. With an emotionless expression, Grobrarr pulled her closer and wrapped his long arm around her waist, not even looking at her face. Karobarr glanced at him for a moment, then looked straight ahead, a small smile curling around the corners of her mouth.  
Sherlock studied them and then tried to catch John's eyes, but the shorter man kept looking straight forward, biting his lip.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"Speaking of a bumpy ride," River muttered as they finally stopped moving.

Sherlock sighed and turned towards Ianto. "Do you think John will ever forgive me?" he whispered.  
"There is nothing to forgive. You did not do anything wrong," Ianto answered and then glanced at Jack. "Unlike some..."

Jack acted like he didn't hear them and walked towards the door, holding it open for Karobarr. "I'm sure your planet must be beautiful," he said with a wink to her.

"The most beautiful place in the univerrse," she replied earnestly as she stepped out into a barren but magnificent landscape of grey, red, golden-brown and black rock. There were massive mountains, giant boulders, rocks, pebbles and pools of glittering sand.  
Karobarr sighed and inhaled deeply. "Do you smell that? Purre undiluted steatite. Therre must be a larrge deposit nearrby."

Grobrarr sighed as he followed her. "We haven't even been gone forr long and I alrready missed this place. But arre you surre it is safe?" He turned around towards the Doctor, who smiled.

"I have gone three millennia further than the end of the war. All traces of the corrosion are gone and the world has rebuilt itself."  
"Wow," Ianto exclaimed as he exited the Tardis. "My first alien world and it looks like something straight out of a science fiction show..."  
Sherlock nodded as he looked around. "But there's something I don't understand. How can there be oxygen? Why can we breathe?"  
"Algae," Karobarr replied. "Moss."

"It even grrows on ourr own exoskeleton. That's how we werre cerrtain we could surrvive on yourr planet, whateverr the cirrcumstances werre therre," Grobrarr nodded.

"This is amazing," John said, shaking his head slightly. If only he could take Sherlock's hand to look at all this beauty, like he normally would.

"So," Sherlock said, "will you settle here? Build a home?"  
"We do not build," Karobarr answered, chuckling lightly. "We need no shelterr." She looked at Grobrarr. "I think we will rroam forr many yearrs. Until ourr family is larrge enough to split into trribes."

"Why not stay together in one group?" John asked. "I mean, I'm not saying that that is an assurance for a future without war, but rivalry between the tribes might be a risk you want to avoid..."

Karobarr frowned. "The little one has a point. But it is the way we have always lived."  
"And did it not prove to be flawed?" Sherlock asked, taking a step closer to John. "Do you want to return to how it was or create something new, perhaps better?"

John glanced aside at where Sherlock was standing, but didn't move away. "It's just a suggestion. I don't want to decide how you organise your whole future." He smiled at Karobarr.

"Perrhaps we should see what the futurre brrings. Afterr all, we'rre not even a rreal family yet. The childrren could have a say in this," Grobrarr said.

"I suppose..." Karobarr said. She glanced at Grobrarr and her grey skin seemed to turn slightly darker across her cheeks as she smiled.

"Maybe we should give you two some privacy," Jack smirked.

"Oh..." Karobarr turned quickly towards them, as if she had, for a moment, forgotten they were there. "No... You arre welcome to stay... As long as you like. You arre ourr guests."

"We don't want to be in the way," Jack chuckled.

"We have the rrest of ourr lives," Grobrarr said. "Forr quite some time we won't see anyone else. As much as I apprreciate Karobarr's company, please feel frree to stay a little longerr." He actually looked a little bit nervous.

"Why don't you show us some of the beautiful places this planet has?" River asked. "I'm sure a little sightseeing will be good for all of us." She looked meaningfully at Sherlock and John, who had ended up even closer to each other, but still without even sharing a glance.

"I suspect things have changed a lot since we left," Karobarr said, pensively. "We will have to discoverr the beauty anew."  
"Then let us help you," the Doctor said. "A world is never better explored than with a Tardis."

"Orr we could go by foot. I'm surre it's nice herre to walk," Grobrarr said quickly, glancing back at the tiny door he had been so happy to cross for the last time, a few minutes earlier.

The Doctor pouted slightly. "Walk?"  
Ianto laughed. "Don't do much of that, do you?"

"Oh, he doesn't mean you don't look fit," Jack said with a wink to the Doctor.

"We'll walk," River decided, smiling.

"Try to wait for us though," John asked the Lapicomedons. "Our feet are not adapted to rock, like yours are."

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Ianto muttered, glaring at Jack.  
Sherlock frowned at him and moved to put a hand on his shoulder, but Ianto tore away. "I'll wait here," the young man snapped and stalked back towards the Tardis.

John looked back at him, then glared at Jack. "Is this really worth it? Making him miss the view because you can't keep your mouth shut?"

"I didn't ask him to run away, did I?" Jack snapped.

"No, you just had to rub it in his face once more that to you, everyone is as desirable as he is," Sherlock snapped. "And that you will do everything you can to get them, right?"

"And what's wrong with that? Not everyone can be as ridiculously possessive as _some_." Jack pulled his eyebrows up at John. "If one kiss is enough to destabilize your _relationship_..."

"Excuse me?" John said. "Is that what you hope, maybe?"

Sherlock turned to John. "Apparently he was right. I didn't cheat on you or anything, deep down you know that. I had no say in what happened. I would never have known if you hadn't told me. And still it is enough for you to push me away. What do you think will happen? Do you think I'll run to him as soon as your back is turned?"

"We - Sherlock, can we talk about that later?" John sighed.

"Can you maybe all shut _up_?" River said. "We are stepping into wonders no-one has seen in three thousand years. But all you can do is keep going on about are your petty relationship problems. Maybe go fight that out somewhere else and allow us to enjoy the beauty."

"Oh, so now we can't stay around if we're not all rainbows and butterflies?" Jack gave her an unimpressed look.

"I honestly don't care, but stop spoiling the experience for us. Maybe it would be good if you worked out your issues. Because you are all fools. It is clear enough that you love each other, but you simply don't want to see it because some stupid accident happened. Karobarr and Grobrarr have come here to create a world of peace, and you are all bickering like teenage girls."

"Honey..." the Doctor tried to interject halfheartedly.

Jack gave her an emotionless look, before he turned and walked away from them.

The two Lapicomedons were following the conversation almost like a tennis match, occasionally shrugging at each other and clearly not understanding a thing of what was happening.

Sherlock frowned at River for a moment. Then he looked back at John. "She's right. What happened shouldn't matter. But I don't blame you for being angry. Or doubting me. I wish you hadn't, but I am not going to be bitter about it anymore."

"Can we... have a moment?" John gave the Doctor and River a pleading look.

"Sure. Work this out. We'll go with our friends," River said, giving the Lapicomedons a reassuring nod.

Karobarr frowned and seemed about to speak, but then turned and hesitantly took Grobrarr's hand as they walked off.  
Sherlock was watching John, still not sure of what to expect.

John waited until the others were gone, then cleared his throat and muttered: "I'm sorry." He looked at his shoes, but then forced himself to look up at Sherlock. "I was overreacting, and I want you to know that I didn't really think… the things I said. I'm really sorry. I should have told you earlier, but..." He looked uncomfortable. "I wasn't certain you still wanted to hear it."

Sherlock smiled and reached out a hand to him. "I wanted to. But I no longer need to."

John quietly looked at their hands and gave Sherlock's a little squeeze.

Sherlock pulled him closer. He smiled as he looked down and then, with a gentle finger under John's chin made him look up at him.

John smiled back and gently pulled Sherlock down by his neck to kiss him. "I love you. Always will," he mumbled.

"I love you too," Sherlock muttered, kissing him softly.

...  
"Oh, so you think you can just waltz in and sweep me off my feet and all will be forgotten?" Ianto huffed as he stormed out of the Tardis. "Well, you can forget that. You can forget the whole thing. You don't even want me. Just as a 'part time shag', right?" He was blinded by tears and rage and nearly ran into John and Sherlock. When he saw them, he gasped. "Oh... You're here... I thought you'd gone off with..." He realised that they had been kissing and blushed, "... uhm... the others."

"Ianto." John gently put a hand on his arm. "Are you-"

"Yes, sure, why don't you run to them instead of actually talking to me about what you want?" Jack stormed after Ianto. "Why do I always have to know everything you want without you saying one thing to me? You know how it is between us, how it has always been. Why is it suddenly so different from what we had because I kiss _him_?" He looked part angry and part exasperated.

"Because he's our friend!" Ianto was practically screaming. "He's not some random bimbo from the local pub. He's not a one-time thing. You must have known that if you actually had managed to break him and John up, you couldn't have just had your fun and moved on. You wanted more, didn't you? You wanted him because he's so bloody gorgeous and brilliant and he might just be able to hold your attention in the way I never could."

John put a step back, not sure what to do.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before he started talking again. "Listen, Ianto, that's just not true. I didn't even really want to kiss him - no offence, Sherlock, but I know that you and John are good together. What I really want right now is that we could just go back to normal. Or as normal as we can get." He gave Ianto a pleading look.

"Don't give me that. You wanted him from the moment you laid eyes on him. You even told me that he and John being together just made it more interesting. That's the real ego boost, isn't it? Being able to steal him away from his loving partner? Just like it gives you a kick every time I let you back in after you've been out fooling around. That despite everything... despite every shitty thing you've ever done to me, I can't resist you."

"Ianto, I never wanted to hurt you." Jack sighed. "You know how I am. But if I had known how this made you feel..."

Ianto swallowed hard. "I told you to stop..." he muttered and bit his lip.

Jack almost laid a hand on Ianto's arm, but then stopped himself and stepped back. "Then I'll stop," he said, resigned, turning his gaze down.

Ianto smiled a little. "To stop going after him... Remember? Back in Cardiff. I asked you not to pursue him."

"I won't. I won't go after him, I never really did. I was just fooling around, and I didn't want any of this to happen," Jack promised.

John took Sherlock's arm and quietly led him away.

"It did happen though..." Ianto sighed. "And I guess I kind of lost it for a while."

Jack looked into his eyes and carefully put a step closer. "I'm sorry. For hurting you like this. You are not..." He took a deep breath. "You are important to me."

Ianto made a small whimpering sound. "I am?"

"God, Ianto..." Jack gently took his hand, his face serious. "I'm so sorry that you even doubt it."

Ianto smiled a little, not taking his eyes off Jack's. "Hard to believe that I can mean anything to someone like you," he muttered.

Jack cupped Ianto's face in his hands, just looking at him. "Is it?"

"Of course it is. You're Captain Jack Harkness, right?"

"Yeah." Jack smiled a little. "That means you'll have to believe me on my word, isn't it?"

"Can I?" Ianto raised a teasing eyebrow.

Jack chuckled. "Oh Ianto," he smiled, before kissing him softly.

Ianto whimpered and trembled as he returned the kiss. Hesitantly he put his hands on Jack's hips.

Jack deepened the kiss and pulled him closer. "Oh Ianto," he whispered as he pulled back eventually.

"Jack..." Ianto muttered breathlessly.

Jack smiled at him, his arms still around his back. "Should we go find the others, or...?"

Ianto chuckled. "Or... Definitely 'or'."

Jack grinned. "Glad to hear you agree."

"I'm sure you are," Ianto teased and kissed him again.

"Let's find a soft rock to lie on," Jack winked.

"How about sand?" Ianto asked.

"Might be more comfortable, yes," Jack grinned. He wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and guided him to a less rocky surface.

Ianto smiled as he turned to Jack and pulled him close. He kissed him hungrily. Interrupted by a lot of kissing and touching, they finally managed to get their shirts off without too many limbs getting tangled. Then Ianto unbuttoned Jack's trousers and pushed them down far enough to stroke him. Jack moaned and leaned on Ianto as he hurried to reciprocate.

Ianto gasped and bucked into Jack's hand. "I want you," he whispered. "Now."

"Anything you want, anything-" Jack bent down to kiss him, but stopped midway and frowned, looking down. "What...?"

Ianto looked up at him and then gasped.

"You're not serious." Jack tried to pull his foot out of the sand, but he only sank deeper. Immediately he stopped trying and wrapped his arms around Ianto's torso, as the other man was already deeper in the sand. "I'm going to try to pull you out, then you can help me."

Ianto nodded, clinging to him, his eyes already growing wide with panic.

Jack tightened his grip and pulled with all his power.

Suddenly Ianto screamed in pain. "My foot," he gasped. "It's stuck."

Jack let him go, a worried look on his face. "I'm sorry. Should I try again or do you think it's no use?"

Ianto whimpered. The sand was already past his thighs. "I don't know. I'm scared."

Jack took his hand. "We'll get out of here. I promise." Then he turned as far as he could. "Help!" he called. "Doctor! River! Grobrarr!"

"It's no use," Ianto cried as his hips were swallowed up by the sand. "It's too late, Jack. I'm sorry. I..."

"Shut up. I'm not letting you die here," Jack said. "Someone will show up." He started shouting again. "Sherlock! John!"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Oh dearrr." Grobrarr's voice sounded from behind Jack and Ianto. "I thought I felt strrange stirrrings in the sand..."

"You and yourr stirrrings," Karobarr snapped as she pushed past him. Creaking slightly, she bent over enough to reach a hand down to the sand. But instead of taking a hold of either Ianto or Jack, she dug her fingertips into the sand. "No," she said softly. "Let go... Up..."  
Ianto gasped. "The sand... It's shifting..."

Jack waved his arms to keep his balance as he was pushed out of the sand. "Wow," he said breathlessly as he could step out of it. "Thank you, Karobarr."

"That was impressive," River said, standing safely to the side next to the Doctor.

As soon as Ianto was free, he hurled himself at Jack, clinging to him. "Thank you, Karobarr," he muttered. "Thank you."  
"Stupid sand," Karobarr said haughtily, glaring at it as she straightened up slowly. "That is no way to trreat frriends."

Jack smiled at Ianto and pulled him close. "Yeah, it gave us a bit of a fright."

"And by the look of your clothes, you weren't paying much attention to your surroundings," River smirked.

Ianto looked down, gasped and quickly pulled his pants and trousers up.

Jack chuckled and followed his example more calmly. "You could say we were too caught up in other things to notice the sand. Good thing we weren't lying down."

"Indeed. The sand would neverr have gotten overr the shock. It is stupid, but rratherr sensitive," Grobrarr said with a small frown.

Sherlock who had just caught up with the others, dragging a slightly winded John behind him, snorted. "Well put."  
The Doctor turned and looked at them. "Where were you two?"  
Sherlock smiled. "We were talking. It was long overdue." He smiled at John and gave him a quick kiss.

John answered his smile. "Maybe we shouldn't wander off then, if it's so dangerous around here?" He nodded at the sand.

"No dangerr," Karobarr said. "Sand just wants to play. Been lonely forr too long."

"I hope it doesn't mind we don't want to play again," Jack smiled.

John took Sherlock's hand. "Maybe we can enjoy the view on our own then."

"Just don't wander off too far," the Doctor said, smiling at them.  
"We should explorre too," Karobarr said to Grobrarr. Then she turned to the others. "No offense, but we can move fasterr herre on ourr own."

"Sure," River smiled. "Shall we see you again before we leave?"

"'We would like that. How long arre you planning on staying?"

River shrugged. "Maybe we can meet again in a couple of hours."

Grobrarr nodded. "We'll see you laterr by the blue box." He smiled at Karobarr. "Lead the way."

Karobarr smiled and took his hand, hauling him off at surprising speed.  
Sherlock tugged on John's hand. "Shall we head off too?" he asked, winking.

John smirked. "Yeah."

"We'll leave you alone as well," Jack said to River. "We'll make sure we don't end up in any sand."

"I know a good bed, with absolutely no sand in it," Ianto whispered in his ear, tugging gently on his hand.

River smiled up at the Doctor. "I guess that leaves us..."

He offered her his arm. "Care for a stroll, my dear?" he asked gallantly.

"Why not, my love."

...

Sherlock and John walked around for a while, but as they couldn't stop touching each other, they were soon longing for a more comfortable place and headed back for the Tardis. "What do you think Karobarr was up to?" John asked.

Sherlock chuckled. "She's a very practical creature. And impatient, as you may have noticed. I'm guessing that she figured they might as well get started on their new task." He gave John's hand a soft squeeze.

John chuckled. "Poor Grobrarr. He didn't look so convinced yet." He smiled up at Sherlock.

"Oh, I think she can motivate him," Sherlock chuckled. "I bet she can be quite persuasive." They had reached the Tardis and suddenly Sherlock spun John around and pressed him up against the door, to kiss him passionately.

John brought his hands up in surprise, only to pull Sherlock even closer by his lapels. Sherlock chuckled as he placed his hands on John's shoulders and slowly let them slide down his arms. John hummed against his mouth and pressed his hips against Sherlock's.

A little frantically, Sherlock reached between them and unbuttoned John's trousers. He worked a hand down and let out a shaky whimper as his fingers brushed John's cock.

John groaned and bucked his hips. "God, Sherlock... Finally..."

Sherlock nodded and kissed him again, tugging at John's clothes with his free hand.

…

River grabbed the Doctor's arm. "Wait," she said softly, nodding in the direction of the Tardis.

The Doctor frowned at her. "What?"

"I've changed my mind. The Memolapid won't run away, so we can have a look later. Besides, the Tardis' entrance is sort of... blocked," River smiled.

The Doctor turned to look. "Oh..." Then his eyes widened. "Oh, I see." He stood staring for a moment. "They seem quite... Wow..."

River chuckled. "Doctor, are you blushing?"

He turned abruptly away. "No."

She grinned and stepped closer, her back to the boys against the Tardis. "Then maybe I should do something about that..."

"Oh?" he frowned, then gasped softly. "Oh..." He grinned and took her hand, leading her towards a large group of boulders.

…

John gasped in the kiss, one hand in Sherlock's pants as the other kept his lover's body close to his own, by his hip. "Maybe we should get in... the Tardis... horizontal..." he managed to say.

Sherlock chuckled. "If you prefer... But I don't think we'll be disturbed here..." He kissed John hungrily, moving his hand faster.

John moaned and clung to him. "Maybe round two, then," he panted, too far gone to move now.

"Deal..." Sherlock smiled into the kiss. Then he pulled away and sank to his knees in front of John.

John's breath caught as he looked down at him. "I really won't last long. I've been worked up for days."

Sherlock grinned. "Me too. That's why we're saving the best for round two." He leaned in and took John's cock in his mouth.

John leaned his head back against the blue wood and moaned, gently tangling his hand in Sherlock's hair. "Oh, god..."

Sherlock sucked hard and bobbed his head slowly.

John trembled on his legs, letting out a whimpering sound. "Sherlock..."

Sherlock hummed and moved faster, pushing John up against the Tardis with his hands on his hips.

John moved his hips in the same rhythm and it wasn't long before he gasped and came.

After a moment Sherlock pulled back and looked up at John. "I love you," he said.

"You too," John panted, still pushing back against the Tardis to avoid sinking to his knees.

Sherlock got to his feet and kissed John while tucking him back in his trousers.

John took his hand. "Come on, I want you on the bed."

Sherlock smiled and nodded, as he opened the Tardis door and pulled John through.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Hmm, I love you," John smiled, threading his fingers through Sherlock's curls where they were resting on his chest. Then John turned his head and listened. "I think Karobarr and Grobrarr are back. Maybe we should get dressed."

Sherlock sighed. "I don't want to move," he complained. His fingers walked down John's chest. "And I don't want you dressed."

John chuckled. "It won't be for long. After all we don't have a case anymore..."

"I'm shooting the doorbell and barring the door when we get home," Sherlock said resolutely.

"And then complaining about not getting a new case half an hour later... Little longer, if I'm very good," John sniggered.

"You know full well that you can keep me distracted for _days_, when you are on form."

"But I keep that for when it's necessary," John grinned. "Come on. Up." He gently pushed against Sherlock's shoulder.

"We've been back in time. We've been to an alien planet. In the future, no less," Sherlock said as he got up. "You don't think that a lot of distraction is called for?"

"We'll discuss it later," John smiled, picking up his trousers.

"We most certainly will," Sherlock smirked, and he started getting dressed.

When they came out of the room, Jack and Ianto were just passing by their door. Jack turned his head and gave them a wide grin, which John answered with a neutral expression.

Sherlock nudged him in the ribs. "Be nice," he whispered. "He's had a pretty hard time too, and he was actually just trying to help."

John smiled at Sherlock. "You telling _me_ to be nice?" Then he sighed and bit his lip. "I guess I'll have to apologise to him. Still don't really feel like it, if I'm honest."

"I don't think he expects an apology. Just let him know that you no longer blame him or suspect him of trying to steal me... more than usual."

John gave a short nod, a glimpse of doubt lingering in his eyes before he took Sherlock's hand and gave it a small squeeze.

Sherlock studied him for a moment. "Something wrong? I thought we'd cleared it all up."

"No, nothing's wrong." John smiled again. "I was just wondering for a moment if he's cleared things up with Ianto as well. I mean, it looked like it, but sometimes I wonder if Ianto doesn't put up with too much from Jack."

Sherlock frowned slightly. "He's scared that if he tries for more, he'll lose what he has."

"I know... I just wish it didn't have to be so hard for him. He's a good man." John shrugged. "I guess they both are." He started walking out, still holding Sherlock's hand.

As they entered the control room, Ianto looked over at them and smiled. He snuggled a little closer to Jack, who had laid an arm around his shoulders, as they watched the Doctor and River bid the Lapicomedons goodbye and good luck.

"We wish you the verry best too, Sweetie and Rriverr," Grobrarr said. He was holding Karobarr's hand and looked more cheery than they had ever seen him, with even a little colour in his cheeks. "Thank you so much forr brringing us herre and giving us this opporrtunity."

"It is a noble thing you are doing," the Doctor said, trying to ignore the others' snickering. "Your names will surely live forever in the legends of your people and those who will benefit from their wisdom in the millennia to come."  
"Perrhaps you can wrrite them on a small plaque, next to the historry of ourr ancestorrs at the museum Rriverr is planning on selling it to," Karobarr said, winking.

River looked surprised for a moment. "I don't think I will sell it," she said, quickly regaining her composure. "I will study it, but then it could be a nice decoration in the Tardis and a memory of the last and first Lapicomedons."

"No. You should put it on display. Otherrs can learrn frrom ourr mistakes. Add the entirre historry of the warr. How we almost died out. And then tell of the fourr men of earrth, the Time Lorrd and the child of the Tarrdis who saved us on the brrink of extinction."

River smiled. "If that is your wish, the Doctor and I will make sure it happens."

"But perrhaps you shouldn't mention the incident with the sand," Grobrarr said with a chuckle like low thunder.

Jack laughed and Ianto blushed, which of course only made the rest of them laugh even more.  
"That might become parrt of ourr local legends," Karobarr said. "How the men of earrth werre grreeted by the eagerr sands that had been lonely forr so long."

"Oh, if you had of course just told me they were _eager_," Jack winked, but he made sure to give Ianto's shoulder a small squeeze as he said it.

"Well, we'll be off," River smiled.

"Yes," Karobarr said. "Good luck to you all." She took Grobrarr's hand. "Arre you ready to face the low doorr one last time, my dearr?"

"Somehow I do feel a little morre... flexible," he answered with a smirk, allowing her to get out first.

Karobarr chuckled as she left the Tardis.

"Seems like those two will be alright together," John smiled.

They all waved at the Lapicomedons, and then River closed the door.

"Right..." The Doctor rubbed his hands. "I guess it's time to take you boys home. Unless... Unless there's somewhere or -when you'd like to go first?"

Jack looked at Ianto with a smile. "What do you think?"

Ianto shook his head. "I miss Cardiff. And Gwen. I even miss the Hub a little."  
Sherlock gave John's hand a squeeze. "I think my problem would be choosing. I'd want to see and know everything."

"Yeah, and I think the human mind wasn't made for seeing and knowing everything," John said with a small smile. "Besides, London has more than enough to offer for us. I'd like to go home."

Jack looked a little disappointed. "Oh, come on, you guys. Think of all the fun we could have!"

"We can have fun at home too," Ianto said. "Weevil hunting and nights at the pub, right?" He laughed.  
Sherlock laughed too. "Oh, I think we've had enough fun for a while. I just want some nice, cosy boredom with the man I love."  
"Perfect," the Doctor said as he pulled a lever. "I love London."

"Nice, cosy boredom, right," John chuckled, but he laid an arm around Sherlock's waist and smiled up at him.

Sherlock nodded. "When I'm bored with you, good things tend to happen." He winked.

Jack smiled. "I'm really glad you two are alright again."

"So are we." John looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Sorry, ehm, for..." He waved his hand.

"No problem," Jack smirked. "You've got quite something there. I can understand that you want to keep it all for yourself... But one kiss was more than enough for me. Some things are just a lot more important." He winked at Ianto.

Ianto beamed at him. Then suddenly he flung his arms around Jack's neck and kissed him. Jack chuckled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Ianto's back.

Suddenly the Tardis lurched. "Sorry," the Doctor muttered as he rushed to press several buttons at once.

Jack tried to push Ianto back, but they lost their balance and he ended up on the floor with Ianto on top of him.

"Try to behave, boys," River laughed, pulling a lever.

Ianto laughed and then kissed Jack again.  
Sherlock held on to John with one arm, steadying them both against the railing.

Eventually, with some help from River, the Tardis was landed.

"No offence, Doctor, but I won't miss your bumpy rides," John laughed.

Jack grinned. "Oh, I will."

The Doctor smiled. "London," he announced. "The bumpy ride is over."  
Sherlock sighed. "I would have loved to go exploring... Maybe some other time."

"We'll come along and pick up our stuff," Jack said.

"Oh, but you're all welcome for a cup of tea, if you want?" John said, looking at the Doctor.

"That's very kind of you," the Timelord answered, "but I think I better get River and her stone back to her own time before she gets into more trouble."  
Ianto turned to River. "It's been an honour meeting you, Doctor Song."

"And you, Mr. Jones," River smiled. "Take care of that Captain of yours. He knows how to get into trouble."

Jack smirked. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you to keep the Doctor happy. It was a pleasure." Then he turned to the Doctor. "Maybe better if I don't kiss you this time..."

"I think you've done plenty of kissing this time, don't you?" the Doctor teased him, before turning to Sherlock and John. "Perhaps you can come exploring some other time," he told Sherlock. "When your mind has recovered completely. But for now, stick to common earthbound mysteries, okay?"  
Sherlock chuckled. "I will try."

"Thank you for this, anyway," John smiled. "Apart from Sherlock's little accident with the Tardis, this was a case to remember. I just can't put it on my blog. They'd lock me up." He chuckled.

"It would indeed be condemned as an improbable fiction," the Doctor said and laughed.

"Well, Doctor..." Jack saluted and then winked. "I hope to see you soon."

The Doctor frowned a little. "I promise you will see me again. In time."

Jack smiled. After a last goodbye, the boys left the Tardis and River smirked at the Doctor.

"You surprise me."

He grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. "Am I still capable of that?"

"You actually said goodbye," she smiled. "Well, sort of."

"Should I just have left them? On the rock-planet or at the monastery? Or simply have landed on their doorstep and chucked them out?" he chuckled, but his eyes had a hint of sadness.

She smiled and took his hand. "You know what I mean."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As they entered 221B, Ianto checked his watch. "If the Doctor could have chosen any time to drop us off, he could have given us a little more time to pack," he said. "The last train today leaves in less than an hour."  
"You could stay the night," Sherlock said. "After all, we're not using the room upstairs for anything else."

John smiled. "But don't get worried if you can't find us."

"Maybe we should leave you alone," Jack laughed.

"I want to go home," Ianto said. "And I'm pretty sure the others could use some help looking after the Rift."

"That's true. And Martha will want to hear everything about the Doctor," Jack smiled.

"I'll help you pack," John suggested.

Sherlock gave John a quick kiss and then flopped down on the sofa. "It's good to be home," he said.

John followed Ianto up the stairs, but Jack lingered and sat down on a chair.

"Sorry again for all the trouble I gave you with John."

Sherlock looked at him. "You helped me. It worked. But it would probably have been better if you had told John right away. Made it clear exactly what happened and why. He would still have been miffed, but we could have avoided all the misunderstandings." He considered for a moment. "Ianto was the one who was hurt the most. You two can't keep going on like this. He cannot handle it."

Jack sighed. "Don't think I haven't thought many times about how to handle this. But it's still the best solution. Maybe in time we can work something out, but..." He shrugged.

Sherlock nodded. "You have lost many, I gather. You'd think the pain would lessen. That you would get used to it. But it hurts just as badly, every time."

Jack sighed. "I don't even want to think of losing Ianto. And yet I know it will happen one day."

"It happens to us all, in the end," Sherlock said. "Or to the ones we love. At least you don't have to worry about what it will do to Ianto if he were to lose you. If you choose to stay with him, that is."

Jack nodded slowly. "Still, it wouldn't change so much. We're already having fun together. I think he understands that it's... not his fault."

"He does, but that doesn't mean he likes it when you go after others."

"Hmm."

…

"There, I think you've got everything," John smiled at Ianto.

Ianto nodded, glancing around the room. "Looks like it."

John picked up one of the bags and Ianto chuckled softly as he picked up the other one. "So typically Jack. He didn't even consider coming up here to get his own stuff."

John smiled. "Ah well. Three grown men for two bags had probably been a bit too much anyway."

"He could have offered..."

"It's just the same with Sherlock. They just trust us to take care of them," John said. "And I guess we are happy to do so," he added, laughing.

Ianto laughed too. "I suppose they are worth it."

John grinned. "I know mine is."

"So is mine. I guess." Ianto smiled. "Most of the time."

John patted his shoulder. "Let's go see what those two are up to, so you can catch your train."

"For once, I'm actually not worried about them being alone together. I think Jack learned his lesson this time."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that kind of stuff now," John chuckled. "But once Sherlock realises what a perfect test subject Jack is, we can't predict what's going to happen."

Ianto sighed. "Will those two ever learn?"

Jack grinned at Ianto when he and John arrived downstairs. "Cab's already waiting. What kept you two?"

"We were snogging," Ianto said, winking at John before heading down the stairs.

"Ooh," Jack laughed.

"Yeah, it was fun," John nodded.

Sherlock snorted and then got to his feet with a groan. He glanced at John. "I suppose we should see them off?"

"Going to prove you're better at snogging?" John winked.

"I'm sure we can find the station on our own. Or rather, the cabbie will. No need to postpone your further activities any longer," Jack chuckled.

"I would just like to bid Ianto a proper farewell," Sherlock said. "Who knows when we'll be seeing you two again." He followed Ianto down the stairs.

"Only Ianto?" Jack grinned.

Sherlock looked over his shoulder. "I'm sure you wouldn't leave without a proper goodbye."

"A _proper_ goodbye? So that's a kiss after all," Jack grinned. "Sorry, John, he basically asked for it."

"You know, I've got a gun somewhere," John said, deadpan.

Jack laughed. "Maybe not, then. Being shot isn't that much fun."

"I know. That's why I suggested it." John smirked and went past him.

Sherlock caught up with Ianto out front, just as he was hailing a cab. Ianto smiled. "Sorry for running off like that. I just felt like teasing Jack a little."  
"God knows he deserves it," Sherlock said with a grin, offering his hand.  
Ianto took it, but then pulled Sherlock into a hug, making him gasp in surprise.

"Ha, looks like we've found who we _really_ can't leave on their own," Jack's voice sounded behind them, and John laughed.

Sherlock laughed too as he turned around. "Never saw that one coming, did you?"

Jack chuckled and also embraced him quickly, and then John.

Ianto turned to John. "Thank you," he said. "For everything."  
The cab had pulled up and the driver looked out at them. "Going anywhere?" he said, a bit impatiently.

"Sorry," Jack said, gently putting a hand on Ianto's shoulder.

"See you soon," John smiled. "Give us a call if there's anything interesting."

Ianto nodded and smiled at them as he got into the cab.  
Sherlock put an arm around John's waist as they watched the cab drive away.

John leaned against him. "Let's go to bed."

Sherlock nodded and practically dragged John up the stairs.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Once in the living room, John pulled Sherlock close and kissed him tenderly.

Sherlock returned the kiss and pulled John's shirt up so he could get his hands under it. He sighed. "Alone at last."

John smiled and brushed his nose over Sherlock's jaw. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sherlock pulled John down on the sofa.

John had just started unbuttoning Sherlock's shirt when the door bell rang. "Damn. I should have let you shoot it," he frowned. "Who the hell is that, at this hour?"

"Nobody important." Sherlock muttered, catching his lips. "I'm not expecting clients. And I'm not taking any new cases before I've had you to myself for at least two days. All mine to shag and cuddle." He began fumbling with the buttons of Johns jeans.

John chuckled and kissed him again, brushing the shirt off Sherlock's shoulders.

The bell rang again, longer this time.

Sherlock groaned. "Go away!" he called, turning his head so as not to yell directly into John's ear. Then he focused on sucking on Johns neck and getting a hand down the back of his trousers.

John smiled and hummed, tilting his head to give Sherlock more room.

The ringing started again, and this time their unexpected visitor didn't let go of the button.

"Damn," John mumbled. "They're waking Mrs. Hudson."

Sherlock sighed. "I suppose that means that one of us has to go down there and tell them to piss off."

"I'll go." John gave him another quick kiss and got up to fasten his trousers.

Sherlock glanced at the bulge clearly showing. "Try not to scare them," he said with a sly grin before settling back and closing his eyes. "I'll be waiting for you right here, so hurry."

John smirked and went downstairs, but as soon as he saw the visitor, who was leaning on his umbrella and took his finger from the bell immediately when John opened the door, his face fell. "Mycroft, do you know what time it is? Can't you leave us alone for five minutes?"

"Ah, John. I have come to see if Sherlock has gotten any further in the case."

John sighed. "The missing stones? That's been solved for days."

Mycroft gave him a painful smile. "Doctor Watson, I know you have chosen Sherlock's side long ago and I respect that, but exaggerations like that in his favour really aren't necessary."

John smirked. "Still, you will find that there won't be more vandalisms of this kind. It's solved."

"Then why haven't I heard anything about that?" Mycroft asked.

"It's gone through a higher instance than you." John couldn't hide his amusement at seeing Mycroft bristling. "You know, someone who isn't just keeping a minor occupation in the British government."

"And who might that be?"

John shrugged. "It's all a bit top secret, you see. Now can you just go to sleep or do whatever it is you normally do at this hour?"

"I wish I could," Mycroft answered, stepping inside past John and going up the stairs.

John sighed and closed the door before following him. As they entered the flat, John winked at Sherlock.

Sherlock was still lying with his eyes closed, his shirt unbuttoned and his hair possibly just a bit messier than when John had left.  
"Go away, Mycroft," he said. "John's already told you everything."

Mycroft looked from Sherlock to John and raised his eyebrows. "If I provide you cases, I expect you to give me the solutions as well. Otherwise, what use is it to consult you, Sherlock?"

"I solved the case and put an end to the vandalisms. The only reason for telling you more would be to satisfy your curiosity. And, frankly, that's not very high on my list."

"But the vandal needs to be punished, and we need to be sure that it _is_ solved," Mycroft said.

John pulled up his eyebrows. "So now you think we're lying? The vandal is being taken care of. I told you, it's out of your hands."

Mycroft glared at him. "I should at least have a reference."

"The vandal had no ill intent. There was a specific purpose behind the incidents, but it had nothing to do with the buildings as such. It has been taken care of." Sherlock sighed. "So swallow your pride for once and let us get back to what's really important."

Mycroft raised a single eyebrow at his unbuttoned shirt. "_Important_. Right."

"I'll show you out," John said, tilting his head to the door.

With a sigh, Mycroft turned the door handle, but then he stopped and turned. "What was Captain Harkness doing here?" he asked, condescension dripping from his voice.

"Visiting," Sherlock answered. "We are friends."

Mycroft gave him a long look. "You have a strange choice of friends. No offence, John," he added, bending his head towards the shorter man.

"Yeah, none taken," John answered, frowning. "Now, are you leaving or do I have to carry you out? We'd like to have some privacy. Or at least the illusion."

"Don't do that, John. We do not have time for back injuries right now," Sherlock said, feigning alarm.

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "I'll find my own way."

"Great. Goodnight." John quickly shut the door behind Mycroft's back and locked it. "Finally," he said, turning back to Sherlock.

"It's hard to believe," Sherlock said, chuckling. "Whatever will we do with all this time to ourselves?"

John grinned and reached out for his hand. "Spend it in the bedroom?"

Sherlock took John's hand in his. "Lead the way."

…

The Doctor opened the door with a flourish. "Here you go, my lady. Right at the doorstep, as promised."

River smiled and took his hand as she stepped out. "Ah, New British Museum. Doesn't the 33rd century smell delicious? And then the architecture..."

"Yes," the Doctor said, not taking his eyes off her. "It's lovely."

She smiled at him. "They will keep me here at the museum for quite a while. Don't get too lonely."

He took her hands in his. "I will do my best. Drop me a line when you have the time for me."

"Oh, _you_ are the one who more or less possesses the time here," she grinned, before reaching up and kissing him tenderly.

"I know," he said smugly before kissing her again. "So I can come get you whenever it is convenient for you."

"And you'll be welcome," she said, squeezing his hands.

He stood for a long moment, just looking at her. Then finally he pulled himself together. "I will see you again soon."

"I hope so." River offered him her hand to press a kiss on it.

"You hope or you know?" he teased as his lips brushed the back of her hand.

She smirked. "Spoilers."

Then she picked up the Memolapid and gave the Doctor a last smile. "Goodbye, sweetie," she said, and walked to the entrance of the museum. Once she was out of sight, she took the sonic screwdriver out of her pocket, chuckling to herself as she twirled it. They would meet again very soon indeed.

The Doctor set the coordinates for anywhere, and as the Tardis began to hum, he glanced down at the tattered blue journal resting on the console. He had long since gotten over his urge to take a peek inside. But surely River would miss it soon enough.


	31. Commentary

Commentary

_Warning: This commentary is being posted at the same time as the last chapter. If you've missed the end of the story in chapter 30, you should probably go back and read that first._

_TLoP:_

Here we are again, at the end of this story, and with that, this W-trilogy. Once again we will give you a look of what happens behind the scenes of our stories - well, a small part of that, of course ;). And most of all we just love writing commentaries. In fact, as Jlocked just put it, we just write stories in order to get to the commentary part. :P

_Jlocked:_

Of course. Why else should we be writing? To entertain our readers? Certainly not.

_TLoP:_

Or to create new stories and species, have the fun of working in references, seeing how relationships between characters evolve… Nothing of all that. It's just the commentaries.

_Jlocked:_

Finally you're catching on. Took you long enough.

But seriously, I think this story came to be because of two reasons.

Number one: we just had so much material left over from our work on _When Their Paths Crossed_, that we hadn't been able to fit into that story.

Number two: we _really_ did not want to let 'our' John and Sherlock go just yet. They were, after all, what brought us together ;)

_TLoP:_

Aww :P But of course Jlocked is right - however sentimental it may sound.

In _When their paths crossed_, the idea had been to bring in the Doctor and River Song. Because that story evolved in another direction, we didn't get to do this, so actually we just had another go with _When their paths crossed again_, hoping that this time there wouldn't be any other aliens coming to steal the spotlights. We knew that we wanted more Johnlock and Janto too, so now we needed a case. Or, as some people might call it, a plot.

_Jlocked:_

Plots are for amateurs.

We did have another element too, though. We kind of wanted to bring the boys together in London this time. Give Johnlock the home court advantage, so to speak. And then it was time to think. We needed a case that would call for the assistance of Torchwood and would ultimately lead to the boys meeting River and the Doctor. How stones came into the picture, I have no idea.

_TloP:_

Going through the old emails, tells me it went like this: "Archaeology stuff makes me think of some stone monster thingy that captured her. And Eleven could be damaging buildings or something to get to her, which isn't really appreciated by Mycroft & co." So there you go. It also told us that our new aliens needed to have something to do with stones. We had already had a humanoid and a small alien in WTPC, so now Jlocked thought it was time for a tall one. But it took a while before we had settled on what they should look like and what they would be called.

_Jlocked:_

Yes, we did put off defining the aliens for as long as we possibly could. I think we almost had the gang down in the tunnel before we agreed on how they should look. But some things were settled earlier. The fact that there should be two, one male and one female, and that they should be scientists and not a couple. At least I think those were the earliest ideas. Apart from the bit about the stones, of course. We needed somewhere to put River.

_TLoP:_

Indeed, "not a couple", completely the John Watson way. I think we also knew about the stone that contained their history at an early stage, since that would be what River was looking for when she got caught. There too, we started brainstorming from the beginning, but we didn't immediately get to the biological disaster as a reason to get the alien species extinct except for our two individuals.

But let's talk about River's "new" prison first. I think that was almost completely Jlocked's idea.

_Jlocked:_

I don't know if I would actually call it an idea. More like an act of desperation. TLoP had suggested the vandalisms and I had to come up with an explanation for them. Why would he be knocking holes in buildings? Was he looking for River in those buildings? That seemed too random. So he needed something from the buildings. Stones, obviously. We really wanted to do some more damage to Westminster Abbey, so I did a bit of online research and found out that part of it was constructed from a kind of stone called 'Portland stone'.

That sounded good, so I decided that this was what the Doctor was after. But why? Because the stones, now used in various buildings in London, were somehow parts of a something-dimensional prison in which River was held, and he needed to piece together that prison before he could get her out of it. (Very lucky that all the buildings were in London. But then again, everything concerning the Doctor somehow ends up in modern day London, right?)

How many stones? Eleven, of course. How many dimensions? Eleven, of course. Why? Because I can be terribly cliché and unimaginative at times. (Stops for breath.)

_TLoP:_

I really wouldn't call it that. Isn't it brilliant (there I go again, Arthur Shappey II) that everything nicely comes together like that? It just made sense, and it inspired us to make River's image stronger with every stone the Doctor found, so it would get easier to communicate with her. So we didn't have to wait until River was set free before we could finally get to write those two.

_Jlocked:_

And that allowed for the wonderfully Rivery line of: 'Dissolve _and _extract', which still makes me giggle a bit. I love how the Doctor is around River. He can't seem to get anything right. Well, he's often like that, but when River is there, he cannot bluff his way out of it.

_TLoP:_

That's one of the things that makes it so much fun to write River. She knows she has that "power" and is not afraid to use it ;) Although the famous "Dissolve and extract" line actually came from the Doctor - I mean, from Jlocked's brain.

_Jlocked:_

Same thing.

So… Let's recap. We had the boys. Holes in buildings. Some messing about with Jack (it was kind of his turn after the stuff he'd put the others through in WTPC) and it was time to bring the Doctor on the scene. Canon-Jack has never seen the 11th, so we got to have some fun with that, but even then, we still thought it could be fun to have the Doctor run into some of the others before anybody (except us and probably most of our readers) had any clue who he was. So the alley scene was partly an introduction of the Doctor (and a chance for me to test 'my Doctor') but also a fond look back at John and Sherlock's discovery of how a vertical surface can be utilised in an emergency.

_TLoP:_

Haa, the oak scene in _What have we become_. It will always remain a favourite.

Of course it was also another chance to tease Sherlock and John. Because it had become our purpose to do that throughout this story. The temptation would certainly be there, but they would always be interrupted in some way when they tried to jump each other. This was also one of the earlier ideas, when we got inspired by a picture of the boys kissing against the Tardis. ( post/45814700353/good-night-i-cant-believe-this-se ries-3-god) Thank you to the artist - we owe you so much.

_Jlocked:_

Yes, it had become our mission in life (or at least in this story) to recreate that scene, complete with a perplexed 11th looking on. And then to have River come and save the boys from further embarrasment by leading the Doctor away. But, alas, she was not in the alley, so the boys were indeed interrupted. And I got to write the Doctor. Yay!

_TLoP:_

Yay indeed! Of course, the Tardis wasn't in the alley either, so it couldn't have happened anyway.

And then we finally got the real River, rather than just an image. That was where the story could really start.

_Jlocked:_

Yes. That was one part I had particularly been looking forward to. The idea of TLoP writing River to 'my' Doctor actually dated back quite a bit. New Year, as I seem to recall…

_TLoP:_

Indeed. But then you actually were Ten, if I recall it right… That would have been angstier :P

_Jlocked_:

True. We did have an 11th back then, but he had his hands quite full with Amy, I believe. And Jack was just all over the place… Anyway… Back to the story. River saved, Doctor happy, case solved and time for the boys to go home. Or not.

_TLoP:_

Where would be the fun in that? We had new aliens to introduce!

_Jlocked:_

And more frustration to heap on our poor boys. And a young girl to not-really-introduce. Wasn't that why we chose that specific time and location?

_TLoP:_

Indeed. One of your most brilliant ideas, that little WHWB reference. I really loved writing that little bit with her, even if it was quite difficult to make it vague and yet clear enough.

_Jlocked:_

I do love references. Even if they're to our own stories. And I really liked how Sherlock was never told. Had he known she was there, he would have insisted on going to question her to find out what was in the cursed journal.

_TLoP:_

I love them even _more_ when they're to our own stories. And yes, that whole thing was quite brilliant, although it almost got lost in all the angst Jack had caused, despite his good intentions…

_Jlocked:_

Yes, if it hadn't been for Jack, this story might have gone completely angst-less. And where would the fun be in that?

_TLoP:_

And think of all the fluff after the angst!

_Jlocked:_

Yes, that is the boon I have to pay to get my angst. The only way I can sell it really is to promise post-angst fluff.

_TLoP:_

I honestly think that our readers are grateful for that…

_Jlocked:_

Silly fluffy readers…

_TLoP:_

Oh, deep down you love it. You just won't admit it so you won't damage your evil mastermind image.

_Jlocked:_

Shush.

Back on track. Jack. Angst. Snogging Sherlock… How were we going to accomplish that?

Somewhere down the line, probably at a time when I was sleepy and silly, we somehow came up with the idea of the Tardis dumping too much information into Sherlock's brain. Which of course led to me having to go online for random DW trivia that I could have him blurt out. Homework for writing fanfics… I can tell you, at that time I was a rabbit of negative euphoria.

_TLoP:_

Alright, Douglas… If you keep going on like that, you'll have no choice but to write a _Cabin Pressure_ fanfic with me.

I loved the part when Sherlock's brain was "ill". Especially when he started talking about John. That was one of _my_ most brilliant ideas.

_Jlocked:_

Yes. Storywise it was a brilliant idea. It was not so easy to actually come up with what to say though. But it did turn out pretty funny. And was a kind of fond recap of that side of our stories so far. And I did manage to get the oak in there… (Okay, that sounded very very wrong…)

_TLoP:_

Indeed XD

But then, when Jack was "Sherlock-sitting", there was the problem of how to shut Sherlock up. He wouldn't hit a defenceless man, as Jlocked pointed out. There was only one option, really…

_Jlocked:_

Sure, Jack. Only possible option was snogging the gorgeous detective. Good thing Jack is such a selfless man, willing to sacrifice so much to help a friend in need. It must have been so traumatic for him.

_TLoP:_

Well, in the end it was.

_Jlocked:_

I think it was pretty hard on all of them. But maybe in a way also did some good. John and Sherlock certainly came out of it being even more certain about each other and their relationship. And Jack and Ianto did get a little closer. Which of course led to the angstiest bit of all.

Oh, by the way: Spoiler alert! But then again, if you haven't seen season 3 of Torchwood by now, you're probably not going to. And if you are, then it's your own bloody fault for not having gotten around to it yet.

_TLoP:_

Yep, it's totally people's own fault if they only get to watching Torchwood this year… *ahem*

But what Jlocked was actually getting at, is that this will have been the last time that Sherlock and John saw Ianto. Their goodbye at the end of the story was an actual goodbye to him.

_Jlocked:_

We did draw out that bit, knowing that they would never see him again. It was important to us that they were all happy when they parted and were feeling good about their lives, relationships and friendships. And then the 456 happens and Sherlock takes a leap.

_TLoP:_

*museum guide voice* And here you see another example of Jlocked using fluff to make the angst worse.

_Jlocked:_

*claps happily* It was perfect. Thank you, Russell and Moffat. You have taught me well.

_TLoP:_

I find it hard to believe that you weren't already evil before you watched _Doctor Who_ and _Sherlock_. But alright.

With everyone (except for River and the Doctor) being angry with each other, it was just a question of turning off the golem and getting to the Lapicomedon planet, which Jlocked described beautifully.

_Jlocked:_

I've always wanted the opportunity to create a 'real' scifi alien planet. And what better chance to do that than a beautiful place of nothing but rocks and sand?

_TLoP:_

I really loved it. Especially the sand.

_Jlocked:_

Yes. The sand was very friendly.

_TLoP:_

That actually happened because Jlocked, after all that had already happened, still thought she hadn't had her share of angst. So with Jack and Ianto getting fluffy again, something had to happen to spoil their fun. Poor boys. On the other hand, the idea of the quicksand was just too funny to let it pass. And it meant I could still surprise Jlocked, because she didn't think I would go with it :P

_Jlocked:_

Poor boys. I'm evil. I know. But we did get them out of it with only a sligthly bruised sense of dignity. Not that Jack cared all that much.

_TLoP:_

No, fortunately, we quickly went back to the fluff. And with that, the end of the story. But of course, Mycroft would have to meddle first, wondering what the hell was happening, although not much time had passed for him. I really like the idea of Jack and Mycroft having met at some point. Either they wouldn't get along at all, or… quite well :P

_Jlocked:_

Yes, that does seem like a very interesting story. Maybe we can tell that another time. But, fluffy as it was, writing the ending for this story was kind of angsty. We knew that we could not 'squeeze' any more stories out of our original Johnlock, and that it was time to let them go.

_TLoP:_

*sniff*

Fortunately, _Between Frontlines_ came along soon enough to fill the gap.

_Jlocked:_

Yes. I think it says a lot about how much we had come to care for 'our' boys that we had to go AU to write another Johnlock. Or… sort of Johnlock…

_TLoP:_

Eventual Johnlock :P

_Jlocked:_

Maybe. But let's not spoil that for those who haven't gotten around to reading it yet. And believe me, dear readers, you really should. I think we did a very good job with that one.

_TLoP:_

*nods convincingly* Though it's a rather different style from the Ws :P So you won't get bored of us, either ;)


End file.
